The Challenge
by Beautifuldeath92
Summary: Ichigo Kurosaki has what other boys would call a gift. He calls it a curse. Woman flock to him like bees to honey and yet, he doesn't want any of them. But when Rukia Kuchiki shows up, she's the only one he can't have. And he's determined to have her.
1. Meeting The Girl

**_Here it is. FINALLY! My IchiRuki story! ENJOY! AND REVIEW! :D_**

**_ICHIGO'S POV_**

As I walked into the school, girls swarmed. Letting out a sigh, I tried to push myself through them. "A little trouble with the ladies?" Someone asked.

I looked over and glared at Renji, "Shut up. Wanna help me out of this mess?" I asked, ripping my hand away from some girls hand.

He laughed, "Sure. Hey girls! Ichigo says first one to get him a pair of rainbow feety pajama's with a lime green smiley face on the back gets a date with Ichigo! His treat!"

The girls screamed and rushed off in every direction. Laughing, I thanked Renji. "That was pretty awesome Renji."

Renji shrugged, "I do what I can."

As the headed towards class a voice rang in my ears, "Hey Ichigo."

I turned and grinned at Inoue. "Hey," I said, winking at her. She waved sweetly, making her way to class.

My eyes followed her fleeting form, taking in her figure. "Damn Ichigo, why don't you just do her already? I mean, she's ready and willing. What's holding you back.?"

I looked ahead, "She's just too easy. I mean, I want a girl whose a challenge. I don't want some girl who likes me just because I'm hot or good in bed. I want her to like _me. _For who I am and just me."

Renji looked at him, "Well, then...You're pretty much fucked in that department."

Laughing, we continued into our class.

Taking our seats, I looked out the window. I hadn't been kidding when I told Renji I wanted a girl to be a challenge. Now, all I had to do was find that girl. "Listen up class." I looked at our teacher. "This is our new student, Rukia Kuchiki." The girl smiled timidly.

She had to be only five foot. She was thin but with a slight curve to her waist and hips. "Damn," I whispered. She had black hair that rested just on her shoulder. Sure she didn't have supermodel good looks or a chest like half the girls at my school, but something about her drew me in.

Renji elbowed me in the side, "Dude, you're staring," he whispered harshly.

I snapped out of it and looked away. "You'll be sitting next to Ichigo Kurosaki."

She walked over to the seat next to mine and sat down. "Hi, I'm Ichi-"

Her glare cut me off. "I know who you are and I know about your reputation with woman. I will have you know right now, I will not be getting pulled into _any _of your manwhoring games." My eyes widened as she continued. "My family is of the highest class and even being seen talking to your right now would be considered embarrassing. I will not repeat myself."

I could only stare at her. "Well, what crawled up your ass and died?" I grumbled.

Renji nudged me, "I think you just found your challenge."

A grin spread across my face, "I guess I just did."

**_Well, here's chapter one. I hope you all like it. :) Review please!_**


	2. Meeting The Classmates

**_No worries, this is going to be longer. I made that one short for a reason. Hope you enjoy. Thanks :)_**

**_RUKIA'S POV_**

I sat quietly in my seat as the teacher continued on with her lesson. I could feel the boy, Ichigo was his name, looking at me. His glare seemed to burrow into the side of my head. The clock wouldn't seem to move.

"Hey," someone whispered.

Looking to my left, I saw a boy. "What?" I asked, my voice just as low.

"I'm Keigo Asano."

Smiling, I stuck my hand out. "Hello, I'm Rukia Kuchiki."

He shook it gently, "It's nice to meet you."

"The feeling is mutual." It was a lie. The guy actually gave me the creeps but he wasn't being mean, so why act nasty to him?

"You should come and sit with me and my friends."

"That's too bad, she's actually sitting with Orihime and I." I looked over at the girl who had spoke.

"Oh, well, okay," I said, confused.

The bell rang. "Alright class, we'll continue on tomorrow. Go enough your lunch."

Everyone stood up and the girl who spoke took my arm, "Hey, I'm Tatsuki." She gave me a friendly smile, "You should come and sit with me and Orihime."

I smiled back, "Thank you."

Grabbing my lunch, I followed her outside.

* * *

**_ICHIGO'S POV_**

Something tore through my body as I watched Keigo talk to Rukia during class. Who did he think he was? Trying to make a move on Rukia? On her first day. He's such a flirt.

Relief filled me when Tatsuki butted in and said Rukia was sitting with them. When the bell rang and everyone headed out, I followed Renji out onto the roof with the others.

Keigo, Chad, Uryuu, Mizuiro were already there. "Hey Ichigo, what's up?"

"Hey, Chad. Nothing really, you guys met the new girl?" I asked.

Keigo was the first to answer, "Hell yeah! Can you say hottie? I almost got her to sit with us today at lunch, but Tatsuki totally ruined it."

Renji laughed, "It was probably for the best."

"Why do you say that, Renji?" Mizuiro asked.

"She pretty much already told Ichigo she wants absolutely nothing to do with him."

I glared at Keigo when his smile got wider, "So does this mean I can ask her out!?"

"NO!" I roared. Clenching my fists at my sides, I tried to calm down. "I mean, uh, sure go ahead."

"Seriously?!" He asked, excitement evident on his stupid face.

I shrugged, trying to make it seem like I didn't care, "Yeah go ahead." I took a seat next to Chad an began eating my lunch. I would eventually prove to Rukia that I wasn't just some 'manwhore' like she thought.

* * *

**_RUKIA'S POV_**

Sitting down, I pulled out my lunch. "Hi! I'm Orihime! You must be the new girl, Rukia!" A girl exclaimed, causing me to jump back.

I gave her a smile, "Hello, Orihime. It's nice to meet you." She was tall, a good foot taller than me. Her long dark red hair reached down to her waist and her brown eyes shined with happiness.

"It's nice to meet you too! I'm sure we're going to be good friends! You should try some of my lunch! Then, today after school you can come with me and Tatsuki to go shopping! I'm starting to grow out of a lot of my clothes so we're going to go get new ones!" Her excitement was almost unnerving, but I smiled nonetheless.

"I would love to. Unfortunitely, my brother and I are going out tonight to see things around the town. He wants to take me out and show me all the things there are here. How about next time?" I offered.

Her smile didn't waver, "That's okay! You're right, next time then."

As the day passed by, I met most of the other people in my class. The bell rang, signalling the end of the day. Standing up, I collected all of my books and headed out of the class. I spotted the boy from earlier standing outside. "Hi, Keigo," I said, walking passed.

He kept step with me, "Hey Rukia. I was wondering, would you like to go on a date with me this weekend?" A shiver went down my spine and I looked around. It felt as if someone had been watching me. "So, what do you say?"

I looked back at him, "Huh?"

He scratched the back of his head, "I asked if you wanted to go on a date with me this weekend."

"Oh yeah, sure." I looked around again, "I'll see you later. I've got to go."

"Okay, bye Rukia!"

Waving over my shoulder at him, I rushed out of the school. The black car out front caught my attention and I climbed in. "Good afternoon, Rukia. How was school?"

I smiled at my brother, Byakuya. "It was interesting." Looking out the window, I spotted a truff of bright orange hair. "This school is full of very interesting people."

He nodded, "I hope you're not talking about that Kurosaki character."

"No, of course not."

"Good. You remember what I said about him, right?"

This time, I nodded. "Of course, brother."

**_Well there it is. I know it's a bit short still but oh well. The chapters will get longer, I promise. Enjoy and review :)_**


	3. The Disappointment and The Deal

**_I'm going to try and write this in an hour before I leave to my friends house. We'll see how that goes. Enjoy & review :)_**

**_ICHIGO'S POV_**

I stood outside the school looking in. Rukia was walking out of the classroom. My body tensed up when Keigo started walking with her. Why was I so possessive of her? I hadn't even had a whole conversation with her. She didn't even _like _me. So _why _did I feel like she should be talking to me instead?

Narrowing my eyes, I kept quiet as Keigo invited her on a date this weekend. "Hi Ichigo!"

A short brown haired girl smiled up at me. Her name escaped me for a minute. "Oh, hey...."

She smiled, "It's Sukki."

"Oh, yeah." I gave her a grin, "Sorry about that."

A blush lit up her face, "Don't worry about it. I understand." She looked down at her feet and kicked at the dirt. "So, I was wondering, do you want to go on a date this weekend?"

An idea suddenly hit me and I nodded. "Yeah, sure. Uh, let me think of a place for us to go and I'll tell you tomorrow."

She squealed in excitement causing me to flinched at the noise. "Okay! I'll talk to you tomorrow then!" Now, all I had to do was tell Keigo about my date with Sukki and he would do the rest.

She ran off and I looked back towards Rukia. She was looking around, saying something to Keigo. They walked away from each other and I followed Rukia out of the school. A black car sat out front and I watched her climb in.

Leaning against the door frame, I smiled. So, Byakuya Kuchiki was her brother hmm? My smile widened, this had just got a whole lot more challenging.

* * *

**_RUKIA'S POV_**

We got home and I headed straight for my room. On the way home, Byakuya had said that I needed to get all of my homework finished before we went anywhere. So, I got to work on all my assignments and finished in less than an hour.

As I started to put all my work in my bag, a knock on my door pulled me away from my task. "Rukia?"

"Come in."

The door opened and my brother entered. "I've got some bad news." He took a seat next to me on the bed.

I scrunched up my eyebrows "Oh, what is it?"

"I've got an important meeting that I can't get out of. I'm going to be out late." My shoulders dropped.

Looking down, I tried to hide my disappointment. "Oh, alright then."

I heard him sigh and he laid his hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." It wasn't. "We'll just have to do it some other time." We probably wouldn't.

"I'm glad you understand." I didn't. He stood up, "I'll see you tonight."

His footsteps faded as he walked out of my room and down the hall. I waited until the garage down opened and closed, signalling his departcher. After that I stood up and went down stairs.

Our house was dark, considering it was only three. I sighed and sat on the couch. I guess I should be use to it by now. My brother had always been one to put me aside when it came to work. It was just something he did. And he did it a lot. But no matter how many times he did it, I could never resent him for it. And by the time he returned, I would've completely forgiven him.

The sound of knocking shook me away from my thoughts. Confusion hit me. Who would be here? And why?

I walked towards the door and groaned. Why was I always too short to look out the dumb peep hole? I guess I'd just have to take the risk. I opened the door.

"What are you doing here?" I growled.

Ichigo smiled, "I thought I'd swing by and say hello."

"You shouldn't be here. If my brother finds-"

He interrupted, "You and I both know he won't. I saw him leave. You and I both know he won't be back until later." His smile never faded. "Much later."

"What the hell do you want?"

It was a shock to see his face suddenly become so serious. "A chance."

"A chance?" He nodded. "A chance to what?"

"To prove I'm not as bad as your bother says I am," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

He took a step forward and I took one back. I watched as he just walked passed me into the house. "Just one chance. That's all I ask."

I thought it over. I guess he did deserve atleast one chance. I mean, everyone can change right? I nodded, "Alright. One chance. If you mess it up, you will not speak to me again. Deal?"

Sticking his hand out, the smile returned. I took his hand and he nodded. "Deal."

**_It's still short, I know. And I'm sorry. Trust me. THEY WILL GET LONGER. That IS a promise :) Review? Thanks :D_**


	4. The Moment

_**Alright, this IS going to be a longish chapter! Like, compared to the others anyway. lol. So you better be ready! Enjoy & review :) yay!**_

_**RUKIA'S POV**_

There was no way all the things my brother had said about Ichigo could be true. I had come to that conclusion after only thirty minutes of talking to him. We were sitting on the couch watching T.V. and eating some popcorn. "So, you really like to read romance novels?" I asked.

He nodded, "Yeah, totally. I've loved it since I could understand what I was reading. I know it's weird, but I've always wanted to be the main hero. To be able to save all these woman and stuff."

"So you just like it for the woman?"

"No, no. I mean, all the adventures he goes on to look for these girls. The fact that he puts his life on the line because he loves her." I smiled as a blush formed on his face. "Uhh, that was a bit cheesey."

I shook my head, "No. It wasn't. It was actually really sweet. I've never really met a guy who was so sweet."

Shrugging, he shoved a handful of popcorn in his mouth. "Just don't tell any of my friends that. Got it?"

"I promise."

"So, tell me about you. Why did you guys move here?" He asked.

The popcorn tasted salty on my tongue as I thought over how to explain. "Well, my brother's work takes us everywhere, so we're always moving."

"What does your brother do?"

I shrugged, "I'm not completely sure. He just manages a lot of stuff. Everytime he tries to explain, I get lost because I don't really understand it all."

"Dang, so do you guys always move because of his jobs?"

"Yeah, we don't usually stay in a town for too long." I looked up at Ichigo and found him staring at me. "What?" I asked.

He leaned forward, "I hope you don't leave," his voice was soft.

"Yeah, me either." I kept my voice just as low.

We were almost nose to nose now. "Can I, uhh..."

"Yes." I leaned forward a little more.

* * *

**_ICHIGO'S POV_**

She closed her eyes and leaned forward just a little. Closing my eyes, I leaned forward too. Our lips touched for a second and I was tempted to throw away my plan then.

Somehow though, I managed to pull away. "I'm sorry Rukia, but I can't do this. We just met and you were right. I shouldn't pull you into my games. I've got to go"

I didn't say another word and quickly left her house. It was hard to not just run back in there and kiss her. But I wouldn't. I was going to go through with my plan. I looked back at her house. All I had to do now was keep a bit of distance.

* * *

"That's your plan?" Renji asked.

"Yeah, it'll totally work."

He shook his head, "That has got to be the dumbest plan to get a girl, I have ever heard."

We were sitting in my room, finishing up the last of our homework. I had just gotten done telling him my plan on how to get Rukia to want to date me.

I glared at him, "What part of it is dumb?"

"Well, it's starts out dumb at the beginning. Then, the dumbness ends as soon as you stop talking about it."

"Oh, shut up. You're just pissed because you know it's going to work."

He sighed, "Ichigo, why can't you just for once be yourself around a girl?"

I just looked at him. "What are you? A freakin' chick?"

Punching me in the shoulder, he said, "God you're such an idiot. I haven't even talked to her and I can tell this is all going to backfire."

I rolled my eyes, "Oh whatever."

"You're messed up Ichigo." He got off my bed and stretch. "Well hey, I've got to get home. I'll see you at school tomorrow."

"Alright, see you then." He left and I sat alone in my room.

Maybe my plan was stupid. I shook the thought away. No way. It was simple. All I had to do was lure Rukia in, then, once she felt comfortable with me I'd take her for myself and we'd be together.

After I thought it over a few times, I realized the stupidity of it. Groaning, I rolled over onto my stomach on my bed. "Now what?" I grumbled.

"Ichigo! Yuzu's got dinner ready! Come and eat," my sister, Karin's voice traveled through my door.

"Alright! I'll be down in a minute!"

* * *

**_RUKIA'S POV_**

I sat and just stared at the door. I couldn't even believe what had just happened. He leans in and kisses me, then just runs off!?

Letting out a frustrated scream, I didn't even bother to clean up our mess and went into my room. How dare he!

I shook my head, "I should've know."

_"I will not be getting pulled into _any_ of your manwhoring games." _Why hadn't I listened to myself?

Well, if he thought he could get away with this he was wrong.

My sheets crumpled easily as my fingers dug into them. "I'll teach you one hell of a lesson Kurosaki. You'll learn what a mistake you made trying to screw with a Kuchiki."

The door to my closet opened easily and I searched through the racks. A few moments later, I pulled out my outfit for tomorrow. It was the normal school uniform but my brother had accidently bought one two sizes too small, so the skirt was too short and the shirt was tight. I then decided on one of my push up bra's.

Trying it on quickly, I looked myself over. Showing a lot of your body wasn't something I approved of, but I would _not _be made a fool of.

* * *

The next day, I was subjected to Byakuya's scolding all the way to school. "I can not believe you are wearing that! And to school! This is an em-"

I slammed the door before he could finish and headed into school.

Everything I had was being put into not blushing as I walked past everyone. All I had to do was make it through the day. Just one day. I could do that...right?

"Whoa." Shivers shot down my spine as I heard Ichigo's voice behind me. This was it. Everything was based on now.

Turning, I smiled up at him. "Ichigo! Hey! I'm glad I heard you. About last night, I am so glad you pulled away. I was just feeling really lonely and I guess I just wanted some company, you know?" I gave him my flirtiest smile and a soft giggle, "I mean, if we had continued, who knows where we would've ended?"

He just stared, "I, uh, yeah totally."

"I'll see you at class." As I turned, I couldn't stop the triumphant grin from forming as I heard him groan.

"You fucked up, didn't you?" I heard one of his friends say. I glanced back quickly to see who it was.

He was the tall one with crazy red hair. He seemed to always keep it in a pony tail like thing. Something clicked in my mind. _I wonder if Ichigo is the jealous type?_ I thought to myself on the way to class.

* * *

**_ICHIGO'S POV_**

I watched her hips sway back and forth. She looked amazing in the uniform. How had I managed to blow my chances with her!?

A groan escaped my mouth and Renji appeared at my side. "You fuck up, didn't you?" He asked.

Looking once more at Rukia, I saw her eyes lock on Renji. Something boiled up inside me but I did my best to push it away. Renji was my friend for God sake! "Yeah, I totally fucked up."

**_Okay, so it's not horrible long. But I'm super tired and I don't want to add too much to this so, enjoy and review. As always :)_**


	5. The Girls Make A Plan

**_If I could, I would hug every single one of you :D But that would be too much time and too much stalking lol. I wanted to thank EVERYONE who reviewed. I know my chapters haven't been super long but I don't want to get it ALL shoved into one ya know? I hope you all understand and stay with me through this. I really am grateful for the reviews :)_**

**_ICHIGO'S POV_**

All day, my eyes followed her around. She just looked so _hot _in that uniform. She was standing up in front of the class talking to the teacher. With her back to us, I had a pretty good look from the rear. The skirt was short and I mean short. If only she would just bend-

"ICHIIIIIGOOOOO!" Keigo's scream shook me from my thoughts. I suddenly realized the tightness in my pants.

"What?" I grumbled, trying desperately to maneuver my pants into a more comfortable position. It was lunch now and we all had to stay in the classroom because of the rain.

He took a seat next to me, lunch bag in hand. "Ahh, looking at Rukia?" I rolled my eyes and he laughed. "She does look good today, doesn't she?" I clenched my hands at my side, "I wonder what she'll wear on our date this weekend."

Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply. I opened them up and looked at Keigo, he was off in la la land thinking of Rukia. "Stupid prick," I growled.

"What?" Keigo asked, looking at me.

I shook my head, "Nothing. Oh hey, guess what?"

"What?"

"I've got a date with Sukki this weekend."

He leaned forward, "Dude that's awesome! You should totally go on a double date with Rukia and me!"

My plan freakin' worked! "That's an awesome idea! Where are you guys going?"

He shrugged, "I was thinking that small rice shop down the road from my house."

"Jumbo Rice?" I asked.

"Yeah. Do you think that's a good place?"

I nodded, "Yeah, sounds good. I'll have to tell Susan."

"You mean Sukki?" He asked.

"That's what I said."

He laughed, "You totally said Susan."

I waved a hand at him, "I did not."

Looking back up front, I saw Rukia talking to Chad. When had they started talking? I scrunched up my eyebrow. What had gotten into me?

* * *

**_RUKIA'S POV_**

"So, all I have to do is just switch the two variables around and then divide them by eight?" I asked.

Chad nodded, "Yeah, just do that and you'll have the answer."

"Do you think you'd be free this afternoon? I mean, to help me? My brother won't mind."

"Yeah, that should be fine. Is there a certain time?"

I thought it over, "How about around five? It'll give me time to get home and clean up a bit."

"Alright, I'll see you then."

Smiling, I waved as he walked away. "Okay, thanks Chad."

I caught sight of Ichigo and Keigo. "Hey Keigo!" I said, giving him a smile and walking over. I did my best to swing my hips a little as I did.

"Hey Rukia, you know Ichigo."

I glanced over at him, "Yeah, I know him." I looked back at Keigo, "I wanted to talk to you about this weekend."

He nodded, "Oh, yeah! Me too. Turns out, Ichigo has a date this weekend too! Would it be cool if him and Sukki doubled up with us?"

Tensing up, I looked over at Ichigo. He was smiling that a little boy in a candy shop. "I'd love that!" I tried to keep my voice excited.

I smiled triumphantly as Ichigo's smile dropped. "Seriously?" He asked.

"Of course! I've heard about Sukki! She seems like a really nice girl."

He forced a smile, "Awesome. So we'll meet up at three." He stood up and stalked away.

I smiled back at Keigo, "Alright, sounds good. I'll talk to you later."

I walked away and sat next to Orihime. "Hey Rukia!" She greeted happily in between mouth fulls.

"Orihime! What did I say about keeping your mouth opened while you eat?" Tatsuki said.

"That it's gross," Orihime said.

Everyone laughed, "So, are you really going on a date with Keigo?"

I looked over at the girl who asked. "Yep."

"That's crazy. Everyone knows Ichigo has his eye on you but you're settling for Keigo?"

I shrugged, "Maybe not everyone likes Ichigo." My eyes widened as everyone suddenly gasped. "Oh come on. I mean, Ichigo just plays with girls. Like a boy and a shiny new toy. He loves it for a while and then, the shine fades slowly and BAM! He throws you aside as if you were never were anything to him."

They all looked at me. "Wow, I never really thought of it like that," Orihime said.

"Seriously, Rukia you've got a point. But it's not only Ichigo. It's just about every other guy in this class! They treat us like queens for a while and then, the next day we're just servants or something!"

I smiled, "Exactly you guys! If we put our foot down about it and gave them a taste of their own medicine, they'll realize what they're doing. Just imagine the shit we could put them through. Show them what it's like to have their heart broken and stepped on!"

"Wait." We all looked at Orihime. "Well, not all of the guys in the class are like that."

"Of course, there are a lot of them that are good. But I'm just talking about the ones who act like total dicks."

She looked at me with her big brown eyes, "So we can leave Uryuu out of this?"

Smiling, I nodded. "Of course."

She smiled happily. "Then I'm in."

* * *

**_ICHIGO'S POV_**

After I walked away from Keigo and Rukia, I ran into Chad. "Hey man, what's up?" I asked.

He shrugged, "Nothing really. Eating lunch." With that, he took a bite of his sandwich.

"Sounds fun." I took a seat next to him, "So, I saw you talking to Rukia."

He nodded, "Yeah, she wanted some help on an Algebra problem then invited me over tomorrow."

"For what?"

"To help her study and understand the material."

This time, I nodded. "Oh, okay."

"Ichigo?"

"Yeah?"

He looked at me, "Why don't you just tell her you like her?"

That was unexpected. "What?"

"Rukia. Why don't you just tell her you like her?"

I shook my head, "I wish it was that easy."

We sat there in silence for a minute. "Something tells me you've got some messed up plan to get her."

Laughing, I nodded. "You'd be right."

He laughed softly, "Well, don't hurt her. She's not as strong as she may seem."

"How do you know this?" I asked, confused.

Shrugging, he took another bite of his sandwich. "I just can."

"You're a little different, you know that?"

Chuckling, he smiled. "Says the kid who made a whole plan to get a girl."

"Touche."

* * *

School let out and I stood up to leave. Next to me, Rukia stood up as well. I watched as the skirt swayed with her movement. This girl had really gotten to me. I looked away and over to Renji. He was looking at her as well.

After a minute, he turned away from her and looked at me. "Damn."

Shaking my head, I laughed. "Tell me about it."

"So, what's up for tonight?" He asked, swinging his bag over his shoulder.

"Nothing, I've got to spend it with the family. Apparently, my dad is having some big get together tonight with a whole bunch of his co-workers. I'm stuck being the entertainment." I gave him a smile, "But, if you want to you can come over and help."

He punched me in the arm, "You're funny kid."

Rubbing the spot, I said, "Yeah, I try. Well, I guess I'll just see you tomorrow?"

"Yep, see ya."

He turned down his road and I turned down mine. I let out a yawn and stretched as I entered the house. "Don't let your guard down!" My dad screamed, jumping at me.

I side stepped him easily and punched him in the back, "Knock it off."

"Welcome home, Ichigo."

"Hey Yuzu, Karin. When are dad's friends going to be here?"

"They're co-worker's Ichigo."

I inched my way towards the stairs. As soon as my foot hit the first step, a thought came to mind. "Hey Dad?"

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Does the Kuchiki family still work with you?"

He nodded, "Yeah and Byakuya is coming over tonight so be on your best behavior. I know how you two are around each other."

"What about his sister?"

"What about her?"

I groaned, "Is she coming?"

He seemed to stop for a minute, "Hmm, I don't know. I guess we'll see tonight."

* * *

**_RUKIA'S POV_**

"Why am I going?" I asked my brother for the umpteenth time.

He sighed, "Because, it's like a family thing. Everyone is going to be bringing their family."

"I thought you hated the Kurosaki's though?"

He sighed, again. "Rukia, I don't like them. But I respect their father and it would be rude to not go."

"But it would be smart." He silenced me with a glare.

"Tonight, stay as far away from the son as possible."

I turned away from him and rolled my eyes. I was in a pair of nice jeans now with a plain white blouse. "I look dumb."

He put a hand on my shoulder, "You look beautiful. Now come on, we're going to be late."

**_Alright, I know. Still kind of short. But it is eleven o'clock at night and I've got school tomorrow and I'm freaking tired! So excuse the mistakes and just enjoy the rest. Review if you've got the time and I'll answer any questions that confuse people. Bye :)_**


	6. Romeo & His Juliet

**_Alright people. I want EVERYONE to know. My chapters will probably NEVER be over a thousand words. I'm sorry that's just how it is. I hope you enjoy either way. Thanks. :)_**

**_ICHIGO'S POV_**

The doorbell rang and I pulled slightly at my shirt. I was in black dress pants with a light blue polo. I felt ridiculous.

Karin raced to the door in her dark purple dress with Yuzu in a flowing pink one, right behind her. They opened the door and Mr. Urahara with his wife, Yoruichi at his side. He was dressed in a simple tux and she in a floor length red dress I still couldn't believe everyone was so dressed up. I mean, our house was way too small for all these people in fancy clothes.

Letting out a sigh, I decided to get it over with and show them around.

An hour or so minutes later and a stolen glass of champagnelater, I was happily greeting everyone. "Mr. Kuchiki! I didn't expect you to show!"

I turned and saw Byakuya talking to Urahara. They both had plain tuxes on and looked oddly comfortable with the wine in their hands. "So, you've finally shown up," I whispered to myself. My eyes scanned the room. Where was she?

"Looking for someone?"

Looking down, I was greeted with Karin. "Uh, no. Why would you think that?"

She laughed, "Because it's obvious. You've been looking around the room with a determined look on your face." She rested her fists on her hips, "So, who is she?"

I raised an eyebrow, "What makes you think it's a girl?" She raised her own eyebrow and I groaned. "Fine, I'm looking Rukia Kuchiki."

Using her thumb, she pointed over her shoulder. "She walked out onto the back porch. It got to crowded and she asked for a place to be away from everyone."

I thanked her and headed that way. It wasn't too dark out so I could make out her figure. She was leaning against the railing with her head to her right, looking out. She was in a simple white shirt that had a belt like thing wrapped around her waist. It was a slight V-neck with a collar. Along with that, she was in a pair of grey pants. She looked beautiful under the moon. "Want some company?"

She looked over at me and smiled. "Nah, I'd rather be alone."

The railing whined slightly as I leaned against it next to her. "Too bad."

She shook her head and looked out into my yard. "You're father and sisters are really nice."

I nodded and looked out into my yard as well. "Yeah, they're something, aren't they?"

"It must be nice."

"What?"

"Being able to spend so much time with them. I wish I had little sisters."

Glancing at her out of the corner of my eye, "What about Byakuya?"

Her shoulders slumped, "He's never around."

We sat in silence for a minute. "Wanna ditch and run to the park?" I suddenly asked.

She looked up, "What?"

"Me and you. We'll just ditch this place and head to the park. We'll be back before anyone'll notice."

At first she looked like she was going to object, but then she nodded. "Alright, let's go."

"Sweet. Follow me!" I climbed over the railing and then ran to the edge of our yard. I heard her foot steps behind me. She kept a steady pace with me as we jumped the fence and ran through the yards of my neighbors.

"Good God, how long does it take to get to your park?"

I laughed, "We're almost there. Just a little bit father."

We ran further into the night until the park came into my view. I slowed to a stop and she stopped at my side. The park wasn't big but it did have a swing set and a slide with a little jungle gym. "Where do you want to sit?" I asked.

She didn't answer and instead made her way straight to the swing set. "I love the swings," she said, getting settled into the seat.

Needless to say, I took the spot next to her. "Yeah, they are pretty awesome."

Another moment of silence came over us and she started swinging. "So, why are you going on a date with Sukki?" She asked.

I tried to hide my smile, but failed. "She asked and I'm not seeing anyone else, so I thought, why not?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I get what you mean."

"Is that why you're dating Keigo?"

"Not really. It was sort of an accident. I hadn't meant to say yes but when I realized how excited he was about it, I couldn't just tell him no." She looked at me, eyes wide. She had stopped swinging. "You're not going to tell him are you?"

I shook my head, "No. Your secrets safe with me."

"Thanks." She started to swing again. She almost looked like a little girl but she was too beautiful.

"Has anyone told you, you look amazing with the moon shining on you?"

A blush reddened her face and she didn't look at me. "No."

* * *

**_RUKIA'S POV_**

I gripped the chains holding the swing violently. I was falling into his scheme again. The moon comment may have been sweet but there was no way I was going to just let him get the best of me again.

"Ichigo!" We both turned to see his sister.

"Karin! What's wrong?" Ichigo asked, getting up from the swing.

I followed behind him. "It's dad! He's fighting with Mr. Kuchiki!" She looked over at me. "They're yelling about where you two are."

"We've got to get back!" I yelled and headed back towards Ichigo's house.

It seemed to take a lot less time on the way back. I jumped the last fence and landed in his yard. I could already hear Byakuya's voice. "It was your son! He must've talked Rukia into doing something stupid."

"My son? It was obviously your sister! She probably told Ichigo some lie and got her to go with him!"

Ichigo appeared in front of me and opened the door, running in before me. "Hey!" He yelled, getting their attention. "What the hell are you two yelling about?"

I slowly sneaked in behind Ichigo. "You two! Where have you been?" Byakuya asked. His eyes locked with Ichigo's in a bone chilling, heart stopping glare. "What did you do to her?"

As soon as Ichigo opened his mouth to say something, I slid in front of him. Bowing my head, I lied, "It was my fault brother. I wanted some fresh air because of all the people. Ichigo came outside to check on me. I asked him if there was some place quieter we could go. I had gotten a headache. He told me that there was a park near by. I begged him to go. He told me it was a bad idea, but I was relectless. I'm sorry, brother. I beg your forgiveness."

I didn't dare look up at him and instead stared at my feet. "I guess I owe you an apology, Mr. Kurosaki. I'm sorry to have caused such a disterbance at what was suppose to be a simple get together. I hope you'll forgive me as I take my leave."

"It's quite alright, Mr. Kuchiki. We all lose our head when we worry about the ones we love." I stifled a snort. Byakuya didn't love me. He was just looking out for the family name.

"Thank you. Enjoy the rest of your party. Come Rukia."

As I started to follow him, someone grabbed my hand. I looked back at Ichigo. "Don't-"

"Rukia?"

I pulled away from his hand, "I'm sorry." Before anything else could happen, I ran after my brother.

It was going to be a long ride home.

* * *

**_ICHIGO'S POV_**

I watched her run after him. I couldn't believe what had just happened. She had protected me. I clenched my fists. Why would she put herself into something like that? I just knew Byakuya was going to bitch her out.

Taking a step to follow them, someone pulled me back. I looked back at my dad. He just shook his head. "Don't."

I glared at him and ripped my arm out of his grasp. It was his fault Rukia had gotten in trouble. Without bothering to excuse myself, I headed up the stairs.

"It's the simple story of a Romeo and his Juliet," Love Aikawa's voice followed me up their stairs.

His words haunted me. They haunted me not because they were strange, but because they were true. Rukia was like my Juliet. I shooed the thought away, that was way too cheesey. But I couldn't help but let the thought wander back into my head as I fell asleep that night.

**_Yeah, yeah. I know. It's too short blah blah. Whatever. I've got no time to really write these because I've got to get up in the morning and get ready for school, then after school I babysit until six. After that, I'm doing homework and relaxing a bit. I don't have a lot of time to do things. So either you guys can take these 'short' chapters every night or so, or just one 'long' chapter every Friday or so. It's really your choice. I'm not saying that it'll be like super long because it won't. I'll slack off a lot if I do that. Well, I hope you enjoyed anyway. Review and such. Thanks :)_**

**_Any questions? Just ask._**


	7. Sneaking Over

**_Just a quick heads up. This weekend I finally got some free time and I hate to disappoint everyone but it will NOT be spent on this story. A really really really close friend of mine ALSO has some free time and we've decided to get together and hang out. I hope this is long enough._**

**_So, enjoy this one for now._**

**_RUKIA'S POV_**

I got in the passenger seat of our car and waited. Byakuya got in the drivers seat, closed the door and started the car. We backed out of where we had parked and I glanced at him. Why wasn't he saying anything about what had happened?

When I went to reach for the radio, his voice stopped me. "Don't. We have to talk."

Leaning back, I placed my hands in my lap. "About?"

"You know what about."

"He's not that bad, brother."

His hands gripped the steering wheel. I hadn't really seen Byakuya like this before. He was usually calm and collected. It was weird to see him like this. If felt almost as if I didn't know who he was. "You don't know him like I do."

My fists balled up in my lap. "And you don't know him like _I do."_

He gave me a sharp look. "I will no have my sister running around with some hooligan."

I rolled my eyes at the word hooligan. "You're so dense! No he isn't!" I covered my mouth with my hand. Had I really just yelled at Byakuya?

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing." I looked out the window, too afraid to meet his eyes.

The silence that I had hoped would follow, didn't. "I don't want you around him anymore. If you don't obey my rules, I will take you out of school. You are to have no contact with him. School is the only exception. And even then I want you to have limited time around him. He's trouble Rukia. Are we understood?"

I opened my mouth to object. To tell him off and just scream at him. But I didn't. Instead, I stared at my hands and nodded. "Yes, brother."

"Good."

As soon as he put the car in park, I swung open the door and ran to my room. I fell onto my bed and cried. I felt so ashamed. Was I really so weak I couldn't stand up to my brother? Wiping my tears, I made a decision. It was my life. Which means my decisions. Byakuya couldn't keep treating me like a child and making choices for me.

* * *

**_ICHIGO'S POV_**

I don't know how long I laid on my bed and stared at the ceiling. It seemed like hours had gone by but in reality, it was probably no more than one or two. The thought of Rukia seemed to be the only thing I could concentrate on.

That was it. I had to see her. I just had to make sure she was okay. There was no telling what Byakuya would do.

Throwing the covers off myself, I slid my window open. As quietly as I could, I crawled outside and onto the roof. It wasn't as easy as all those movies made it seem. My foot slipped once or twice, but I made it safely onto the ground.

I shivered when the wind hit my skin and silently cursed myself for not bringing a jacket. I looked back at my window. My bright orange spikes fell in front of my face when I shook my head. There was no way I was going back up there for a jacket.

Without another thought, I ran through the front gate of the house and straight for Rukia's place. Believe it or not, the last time I had shown up at her house had been a total accident. I had been walking home when I saw Byakuya pulling out of their driveway.

Unfortunately, I would have no such luck this time. And now that it was dark, it would be even harder to spot. Time passed as I looked around for her house. Then, I saw it. It wasn't a huge house, but it was pretty freakin' big. "Finally," I groaned.

All the lights seemed to be off. Except one. A purple light shined out from the window. Looking around, I found a good tree and began to climb up. By the time I got to the very top, I was missing a shoe and was covered in cuts. The branch was just a little shorter than her window, but with my height, I could easily see.

The room wasn't too small. It had a bed, a dresser, a closet and any other normal thing a room would have. That's when I saw her. She had just walked into her room. And of course, she was in only a towel.

I reached over and tapped on the window. At a break neck speed, she turned towards me and covered her mouth to stop the scream. She held up a finger and closed the shades. I waited for a moment and then she reopened them.

Now, she was wearing some blue boxer shorts and a grey tank top. She carefully opened her window and stepped back. I grabbed the ledge and pulled myself in. "Hey," I said, grinning.

She had her hands on her hips, "What the hell are you doing here? If you get caught here, brother is going to have a fit. He'll have you arrested!" She whispered harshly.

"Don't worry about it."

She took a seat on her bed, "Why are you here?"

I sat down beside her. The was small with a lavender cover over it. "I wanted to make sure you were okay," I whispered.

* * *

**_RUKIA'S POV_**

A blush lit up my face and I tried desperately to hide it. "Oh, well, I'm okay."

"Did he yell at you?" He asked.

I caught a look at him and could see the concern on his face. "Yeah. He said I'm not allowed to talk to you anymore."

He tensed up beside me and I rested my hand on his, "That doesn't mean I'm going to listen to him."

Our eyes locked and he smiled, "Good. I don't want to stop talking to you."

Before I could lean in and kiss him, I stopped myself. I remember how that had ended last time. So, I stood up and smiled at him. "Me either. I'm glad we're just friends."

His smile faded slightly, "Yeah, friends."

"So, what happened to your shoe?" I asked, looking at his foot.

He looked down and laughed, "Your tree ate it."

I laughed along with him. "Rukia? Who are you talking to?"

My eyes widened and I turned towards my door. I could sense Byakuya on the other side. Rushing over to Ichigo, I spoke low, "Get under the bed and do not come out until I say it's safe. Understand? No matter what you hear or anything. It has to be _my _voice. I'll lift up the bed sheet and tell you to come out."

"Rukia?" I looked back at my door.

"Hurry." Ichigo crawled under my bed as quickly as possible and curled up. Grabbing my remote, I turned it on. Then, I laid down on my bed and pretended to sleep.

I heard my door open and tried to keep my body from tensing up. "Rukia? Are you awake?"

My breathing stayed even and I snuggled closer to my pillow. "It must've been her T.V." I heard the clicking signalling him turning it off and suddenly a hand brushed across my forehead. "I'm sorry Rukia. Goodnight."

His footsteps faded as he closed my door and I waited. Five, four, three, two, one. I got off my bed and lifted my covers up. Ichigo stared back at me. I smiled, "You can come out."

He crawled out from under my bed and stretched. "Dang, you need a longer bed."

I laughed, "Maybe you should just stop sneaking into people's house's in the middle of the night."

Waving a hand at me, he rolled his eyes. "That's not that problem."

"Oh whatever."

He looked over at me, "I should get going."

I nodded, "Yeah. Thanks for coming over and checking up on me."

My heart fluttered a bit as he grinned, "It was no problem. I just wanted to make sure you were safe."

"Thank you."

He gave me one last smile and crawled out the window. I watched him climb down the tree, pulling on his shoe and run off. Sighing, I closed my window and laid back down on my bed.

* * *

The next morning, I awoke to the sound of my alarm clock blaring in my ear. I switched it off and got up. The time was six o'clock, meaning I had about an hour and a half to get ready.

I took a shower and put on my school uniform before it even turned seven. I ran down the stairs and managed to trip over the rug in the hallway in the process. I landed with a thud and groaned, "Dammit."

"Rukia?" I looked up to see Byakuya standing above me.

He reached down to help me up but I did it on my own, moving away from his hand. "I'm fine," I said, wiping an imaginary piece of dust from my skirt. As if the great house of Kuchiki would have dust. "I'm ready to go."

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

As fast as I could, I made up a lie. "I've got a project due today and I have a few more things I need to add to it."

He seemed to take that as a good enough response and we left moments later. Student were filing in one by one as we pulled up and I immediately spotted Ichigo.

"Remember what I said?"

My hand froze on the handle, "Yes."

"Good. Have a good day."

I didn't bother saying it back and instead closed the door and ran inside. "Hey Rukia!"

I smiled at Keigo and entered the school with him, "Hey, what's up?" I asked.

He shrugged, "Nothing really, are you ready for our date tomorrow?"

Putting on the sweetest smile I could, I nodded. "Yep! It's going to be a lot of fun!"

**_There it is. Hope you all enjoy. Thanks for all the reviews. All but one or two have been great. You guys are amazing. This story would be nowhere without you._**


	8. Surprises, Confessions and Kisses

**_I know, I haven't updated in...like two weeks? I think that was it. I'm sorry about that. School and babysitting and friends and all that stuff just gets so hectic. I'm sorry :( Enjoy this chapter._**

**_RUKIA'S POV_**

The school day ended and I hadn't seen Ichigo. I was immediately worried but decided to just ignore it. He was probably just skipping or something. I walked outside and looked around for Byakuya's black Lexis. It was nowhere in sight.

"Jump in."

I looked for the source of the voice and spotted Ichigo. He was sitting in a blood red mustang, "What are you doing?" I asked, making sure my brother hadn't shown up yet.

He grinned, "Trying to give you a ride."

"But Byakuya-"

"Is in a meeting. I got a few strings pulled and he won't be out of it for another four hours."

My eyes widened, "What do you mean?"

He sighed, "Just get in the car and I'll tell you on the way."

I decided to go with my instinct and trust him. I pulled the passenger seat open and slid onto the black leather seats. "So, where are we going?"

His smile was full of excitement and mischief. "Wherever the hell we want. It's Friday, I've got a full tank of gas, a wallet full of money and a girl beside me who doesn't have to worry about her brother for the next fours hours."

My heart fluttered a bit and I smiled, throwing my backpack into the back seat. "Alright, let's get going then." Just then my phone rang and I signalled for Ichigo to remain quiet.

"Hello?"

"Rukia. It's me. I got called into a meeting so I won't be able to pick you up. I can arrange for someone-"

I cut in quickly, "No, I've actually got a ride from a friend."

"Who?" He asked accusingly.

My mind raced through names, "Orihime. We're going to be hanging out at her house."

He was listen for a moment, "Alright, I'll expect you home before me."

"I will."

I hung up my phone and he engine roared as Ichigo stepped on the gas and we shot down the street, a trail of dust flying up behind us. "So, you got a place in mind?" He asked, smiling.

I shook my head, "Nope, but I do have some questions."

"Alright, let's hear them."

"First off, where were you today?"

He turned down a road, "I had to do some thing's to get the favors I needed."

I nodded, "Alright, next. Where did you get this car?"

"I bought it."

"When?"

He smiled, "Today. I've been working for some people and I could finally afford this."

"Nice. Okay so, what have you been doing that gave you enough money for the car?"

Shrugging, he took a sharp left. "Just little things. Delivering things here and there. I help my dad out too."

I thought about asking more, but decided not to. I didn't want to ruin the fun by asking questions. "So, are we almost there?"

"We're actually here now."

He pulled into a spot under some shade and put the car in park. The sound of the engine died down and he threw open his door. I got out as well and looked around. We were at the most beautiful place I had ever seen. It was a hilly place but the hill had a small creek running down that lead straight into a small pond. Flowers of every shape, size and color surrounded the edges of the water. Large, green trees had made a large circle around the clearing with only a small path where we drove through. It was completely hidden from the road and anyone's view.

"Oh, wow," I whispered, taking in the sight.

"Do you like it?"

I looked up at Ichigo and smiled, "It's beautiful. I mean, I've never seen anything like this before. How many people know about it?"

"None. Well, none that I know of." He laughed, "I've been coming here sense I was ten." A shadow fell over his face, "After my mom was killed."

A strange silence filled the air, "I know how you feel."

Our eyes locked, "What happened?" He asked.

The ground suddenly became very interesting. "Well, when I was eleven, my mom, dad, sister and I went on vacation. My parents had decided that they wanted us to spend the weekend with them in the mountains. On our way there, we were hit by a Semi. It killed my parents instantly and left me and my sister seriously injured." I held back the tears and dug my nails into my palm. "They told us the news at the hospital. My sister, Hisana had just gotten engaged to Byakuya. So they pushed the wedding back a couple of months until after the funerals." The tears began to drip silently down my face. I kneeled down on the soft, lush grass. "After the funerals, my sister finally married Byakuya and they took me in."

Ichigo sat down beside me and wrapped a comforting arm around my slim shoulders, "I'm sorry." I buried my face into his shoulder and hiccuped. "I'm so sorry."

I shook my head, "It's not your fault." We stayed silent for a moment, "What happened to your mom?"

He tensed up beside me. "She was murdered."

Wrapping my arms around him, I let him explain. "It was just me and her. We had went on a walk by the lake. A man appeared out of almost nowhere and stabbed her. She laid over me and protected me as he continued to stab her." His body shook as he cried, "She died protecting me. By the time he was finished, she was already dead."

I pulled him to his feet, my arms still around him, and led him next to the pond. We sat down and just talked. As we laid in the grass, our arms wrapped around each other, I felt better than I had in forever. It felt good to know there was someone out there who understood what I was going through.

Suddenly, my phone rang, cutting through our conversation. "Hello?" I answered.

"Rukia. Where are you? I've been home for almost an hour." I glanced quickly at the screen and cursed to myself when I saw the time.

I untangled myself from Ichigo, "I'm sorry. Orihime and I just lost track of time."

"Don't lie to me. I called her house, she said you were never there. Where are you?"

My mouth felt dry, "I-I-I'm with a friend."

"Who?"

Trying to think of a lie, I started pacing. "Keigo!" I blurted.

"Keigo?" He asked.

I nodded even though he couldn't see me. "Yeah. He wanted to hang out because we're going to go on a date tomorrow and I just wanted to hang out with him for a bit and I'm really sorry I didn't tell you, it was just that I was afraid you wouldn't let me go with him and I really wanted to."

Ichigo stiffled a laugh behind me and I stuck my tongue out at him. "Alright, come home now."

He hung up. "Nice sentence," Ichigo muttered.

I kicked his shoe, "I've got to go home."

"Yeah, I figured. I'll drive you." He stood up and walked over to me. "Are you really going on that date with Keigo?"

Nodding, I headed back towards his car. "Of course. I can't just tell him no at the last minute."

He groaned, "Why not? I don't want you to go on a date with him."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were jealous." I walked over to the passanger side of his car.

Grinning, he winked at me. "It's a good thing you know me better."

He unlocked the car and we both got in. "Why don't you want me to go on a date with Keigo?"

Shuffling slightly, he turned on the car and didn't me my eyes. "Well, I was just thinking..." He trailed off as he pulled onto the road, the car rocked gently as he pulled out. "It's just that," his hands tightened on the steering wheel and he took a deep breath. "I think we should date."

My breath caught and I stared at him. Where had this come from, "I'm sorry?"

"You heard me. I want to date you Rukia. Boyfriend, girlfriend kind of thing. I want to be the only guy you see. I don't want to have to worry about you going on dates with anyone else because you'll be going on them with me."

A very awkward silent filled the small mustang. "Ichigo...I, uh.." I didn't know what to say. I liked Ichigo. I liked him more than I had ever liked anyone before. But brother would never allow it. "My broth-"

"Has no right to tell you who you can and can't date. If you want to be with me as much as I want to be with you, you would understand."

And I did. I understood completely. But all the rumor about how many girls Ichigo had been with and all the things he had done. I don't know if I could deal with it all. "I need some time to think this over. Give me until Monday, atleast."

He nodded, "Okay."

The car came to a slow stop about a block from my house. I reached into the back and grabbed my backpack. "Thank you, Ichigo. Today was a lot of fun." I gave him a smile and went to open the door.

"Rukia?"

I turned back around and our lips met. Butterflies made a play ground of my stomach, their wings tickling me. He pressed his tongue against my lips, asking for entrance and I opened them. My hand snaked it's way up into his hair, pulling him against me as much as I could.

As we pulled away, the butterflies continued to flap their wings. Our breathing was labored and we were smiling at one another. "Think about it."

Speechless, I nodded and got out of the car. He ran his hand down my back as I slid out. Shivers raked my sides. As soon as the car door closed, he was off, his words echoing in my head.

_"Think about it."_

And I would.

I got home about ten minutes later, my head still in the clouds. I could almost feel his mouth against mine. It sent chills coursing through me and I held my bag tighter. As I reached for the door handle, it swung open revealing Byakuya. "Rukia."

"Brother."

He nodded and I walked passed him. "Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, Keigo's a good kid."

"I want to meet him."

My mouth dropped and I turned to look at him. "What?"

His eyes bore into mine, "I want to meet him. Tomorrow before you go on your date." I could tell he was trying to be more involved in my life. "Is there something wrong with that?"

Shaking my head, I set my bag down. "Of course not. I was just surprised because you've never done this before."

He shrugged and the movement almost looked strained. "There's a first time for everything."

"Alright, well I'll call him later and tell him."

"Good." He started to walk away, "I'll see you at dinner then."

He headed into the kitchen and I went straight for my room. The feeling of Ichigo's kiss was still fresh in my mind.

**_Alright, there it is. I hope everyone likes it and once again I am sooooooo sorry about how long this took. I feel bad and I promise it won't be that long again. :) Hope you enjoyed and review? Thanks!_**


	9. Her Jealousy, His Betrayl, Their Fight

**_Thank you guys for the reviews!! Hope everyone continues to love it! Enjoy!_**

**_RUKIA'S POV_**

I awoke the next morning around ten and started getting ready. Keigo said he's drop by around noon to pick me up. I had talked to him a little the night before and he was nervous about meeting my brother; not that I could blame him.

The need to look really good made me take much more time picking out an outift. I decided on some light blue jeans that showed off my curves and a plain dark red v-neck that showed the little cleavage I had and my waist. My make-up was nothing more than some foundation, light pink blush and light red eyeshadow.

As I looked at myself in the mirror, I felt amazing. I knew I was mostly getting dressed up for Ichigo but I'm sure Keigo would think it was for him. Ichigo said him and Sukki would meet us at the restaurant.

The doorbell rang and I looked at the clock, it was little a little before noon. Byakuya would be happy with that. I waited upstairs while he opened the door and allowed Keigo in. I heard them briefly exchange words and then Byakuya called for me.

I look the stairs two at a time, careful not to trip and slowed down before I entered the living room. Poor Keigo was sitting uncomfortably on the couch. He kept wringing his hands together and looking around.

He looked up at me and we shared a smile. "Hey, you ready?" He asked, standing up.

"Yep. But first, this is my brother, Byakuya." I glanced at Byakuya and he didn't even smile.

"You can call me Mr. Kuchiki."

Keigo nodded, "Yes sir."

Rolling my eyes, I gave Byakuya a kiss on the cheek and grabbed Keigo's hand. "Well we don't want to be late so I'll meet up with you later, brother."

"Don't forget to call me when you can."

"I know!" I shouted, rushing out the door, Keigo behind me.

We climbed into his white SUV and drove off. "I'm so sorry about him."

Next to me, I could see Keigo visibly shaking. "It's totally fine. I mean, he is your brother, he's got to be protective."

"Yeah." It was then that I noticed his outfit. He was wearing a nice pair of dark blue jeans and a grey short with the words A&E on it.

He looked over at me and smiled, "You look really pretty."

Though it didn't make me feel all warm in fuzzy inside, I smiled and thanked him.

We arrived at the restaurant and I saw Ichigo's red mustang outside. Jealous shot through me like a knife. Had he driven Sukki here in that? Had she tried to kiss him? Had he let her?

I clenched my hands and tried to stop myself. Ichigo had admitted to me last night that he liked me. There was no way he'd do this to me. Right?

Keigo opened my door for me and helped me out. "You're a really sweet guy, Keigo."

He gave me a goofy grin, "Thanks."

As soon as we walked in, I spotted Ichigo's hair. He was whispering something in Sukki's ear. Her laughter reached us and I gritted my teeth. How dare he!

Keigo led the way and we took our seats across from them. I sat in front of Ichigo and Keigo in front of Sukki. "Hey!" Keigo greeted.

Ichigo smiled and leaned away from Sukki, "Hey, what took so long?" He asked.

"My brother wanted to meet Keigo."

Ichigo laughed, "How did that go?"

Shrugging, I glanced at the menu quickly. "Pretty well. I mean, Keigo was a bit nervous but I think Byakuya really likes him and wouldn't mind seeing more of him with me."

Being as sneaky as I could about it, I watched Ichigo's face scrunch up in anger. "Oh really?"

I nodded, "Yeah. I can tell he really likes Keigo."

Beside me, Keigo smiled happily. "You really think so?"

Nodding again, I trained my eyes on him and gave him the sweetest smile I could. "Yeah deffinately. He really liked that you should up a bit early. It shows him how responsible and reliable you are." I placed my hand on his arm, sliding it down slowly.

Keigo practically beamed with happiness. "Well, I was hoping getting there early would help."

Ichigo interupted, "Well anyway, this is Sukki. She's in our class."

I looked over at her and took in her appearence. She wasn't anything special, in my opinion. Her hair looked like it hadn't been brushed and she was a plain white shirt with what I think was a skirt. I gave her a smile nonetheless. "Hi, it's nice to meet you. I hadn't heard much about you so I wasn't sure what to expect." I let the venom run into my words and I could tell she noticed it.

Instead, she smiled back. "Like wise."

She was good, but I wasn't here to bitch fight with her. The waitor took that time to come over. "What would you like?"

We all decided on waters, but got different things. Ichigo got a rice bowl, Sukki got Sushi, Keigo decided on Wasabi and I chose Ramen. The waitor walked away and Ichigo whispered something in Sukki's ear. Again. His eyes stayed focused on mine as he talked, though.

Sukki giggled and whispered something into his. He grinned and nodded. This was seriously starting to piss me off. It was taking a lot of my energy to control my jealousy.

Keigo started up a conversation between us all and we talked until the waitor returned with our food. Ichigo picked up some of his rice and I watched in horror as he began to _feed _Sukki!

I lost it. Slamming my hands on the table, I stood. "I knew I couldn't trust you!" I screamed, causing everyone to look at me. "You were just playing me from the beginning!"

They all looked at me and I about threw my chair out from behind me. I stalked my way out of the restaurant, swiftly moving through the crowd of people with my small form.

I heard Ichigo calling out behind me and things hitting the ground. He was probably pushing people over and knocking stuff of shelves and tables. I continued on and started running as soon as my feet hit the pavement outside.

The pants I had chosen weren't made for running and I was tiring quickly. There was no doubt Ichigo would take his car so I cheated and started running through yards. I scrambled over a fence and landed in between two little girls. They screamed and ran away, hiding in their play house. I laughed and started running again. It was good to run away. It was like I actually had control for once. Well, sort of.

My house finally came into view and so did Ichigo's car. My eyes widened and I heard it pull up behind me as I opened the front door. "Rukia stop!"

I ran inside and cursed at myself for not locking the door. I heard it bang open and prayed Byakuya wasn't home.

"Rukia!? What's going on!?" My prayer had been shunned.

"Nothing!" I yelled back, hoping he'd leave it at that.

He didn't. "I know you're lying."

Ichigo's footsteps came thumping up the stairs. "Rukia!"

"Who is here?"

"No one! I've got it undercontrol!" I entered my room and locked it. This wasn't going to end well.

"Come on Rukia! Open the door!"

"Go away Ichigo!" I screamed.

I could feel Byakuya's anger radiate through the house. "That Kurosaki boy is here!?"

From in my room I could hear my brother coming up the steps and Ichigo sighed. "Go away Kuchiki, I need to talk to Rukia."

"How dare you! You enter my house, harass my sister and actually have the nerve to tell me to go away?!"

They continued to bicker and yell at each other. My anger got the best of me and I stood up. I swung my door open and came face to face with their shocked faces. "Will you two shut up!" I screamed.

Byakuya glared, "Don't you dare raise-"

"Too bad!" I hollared. They both stayed quiet. "I'm so tired of being told what to do! You aren't my actual brother!" I screamed. "You think just because Hisana died and left me to you that you can just boss me around! Well I've had enough! I'm not a child! You can't keep controlling me and telling me what I can and cannot do!" I took a deep breath. "I know her dying was hard on you but it was hard and me too! You're not the only person here Byakuya! I've got feelings too! I have always done what you say without question! But I step out of line just once and suddenly the whole world could explode!" His eyes widened a bit but he remained silent. "And now! I've finally met someone who I really like and who I thought really liked me but you ruined it! You screwed it all up for me!" I felt the tears begin to run down my face and I locked eyes with Ichigo.

"And you!" I screamed, my voice breaking. "I actually thought we had something! Boy was I wrong!" He opened his mouth but I held up a hand and went on. "But I was wrong. You were all over her! Like she was some hooker! You didn't _once _think about how I felt during that whole time!" My breathing was ragged, "I can't even believe it! The first time I actually _should've _listened to my brother and I didn't! All because you said some sweet things and we shared some secrets! Well thanks Ichigo because you sure proved me wrong! I always thought that everyone had good in them. That even though someone had a bad reputation that somewhere in them, there was a caring person. Look how wrong I was!" I ran a hand through my knocked hair and tried to wipe the tears away. "Look at me! Look at what you two have done to me! I hope you're fucking happy with this result!"

Turning around, I slammed my door closed and locked it. My hands twitched, needing to do something. My eyes landed on my lime green lamp and I picked it up. Throwing it across the room, it shattered, sending sparks and glass everywhere. I grabbed anything I could reach and just threw it. My screams echoed through the house and my head. "I hate you! I fucking hate you!" I screamed, dropping onto my bed.

I heard someone walk away and a knock on my door. "Rukia?"

Ichigo's voice twisted my gut and I held a pillow to my chest. I didn't respond. "Rukia please let me in."

I don't know how he had talked Byakuya into letting him stay but I couldn't say I wasn't proud. "I'm so sorry." He pressed his head against my door. "I didn't mean to hurt you." I stood up and walked over to the door. I pressed my forehead against the door and listened to him breath. I place my right hand just above the handle. "I'm not leaving until you come out."

"Leave me alone." It was nothing more than a whisper.

His reply was just as low, "Never."

**_Yay! I really liked this chapter. I think it shows how Rukia truly feels about everything that is going on in her life. Also, you WILL find out how Hisana died but not until later. I hope you all enjoyed it :) Review? Thanks!_**

**_I wanted to take this moment to thank two very important people._**

**_Angelic93- Your idea about having Rukia blow up infront of Ichigo and Byakuya was BRILLIANT! And I'm so glad you let me use it! I hope this was sort of what you were looking for :D And there will be another scene kind of like this._**

**_ALSO,_**

**_Drangonsmaiden66- I was reading through my reviews and realized you have review on ALL of my chapters! Thank you sooooo much! They really mean a lot to me and I'm really happy you're enjoying my story. I hope this chapter is to your liking._**


	10. Purple Roses

**_It makes me happy to know that even though it takes me forever to update that you all still review! I'm sooooo grateful that I just HAD to put another chapter up ASAP! So, here it is! I hope you all LOVE it. _**

* * *

_LAST TIME:_

_Ichigo's voice twisted my gut and I held a pillow to my chest. I didn't respond. "Rukia please let me in."_

_I don't know how he had talked Byakuya into letting him stay but I couldn't say I wasn't proud. "I'm so sorry." He pressed his head against my door. "I didn't mean to hurt you." I stood up and walked over to the door. I pressed my forehead against the door and listened to him breath. I placed my right hand just above the handle. "I'm not leaving until you come out."_

_"Leave me alone." It was nothing more than a whisper._

_His reply was just as low, "Never."_

_

* * *

_

**_ICHIGO'S POV_**

I had hurt her. "I'm so sorry." Pressing my head against the door, I placed my hand right above the handle. "I didn't mean to hurt you." I could hear her bed creak slightly and her feet shuffling. "I'm not leaving until you come out." And I wasn't.

Her voice was slightly muffled but I could tell she was right next to the door, "Leave me alone."

"Never."

We stayed silent for a minute, listening to each other breath. "Why were you all up on her?" Her voice cracked.

"I just wanted to make you jealous."

She sniffed, "Why?"

I sighed and closed my eyes, "To prove that you like me just as much as I like you."

"Do you like her?"

The way her voice quivered made my heart wrench. I felt so useless behind the door, "No! Not at all. God, Rukia please let me in."

"How can I trust you?"

I slid down to my knees. "I don't know."

When she didn't say anything else, I tried to open the door. It was still locked. "Let me in, please." I ran a hand through my hair, "Let me comfort you."

There was a almost silent click and then more shuffling. I turned the knob of the door and was surprised to see it open. I walked into her room and almost tripped. She had stuff everywhere. It was like a hurricane had hit. I closed the door.

Rukia was laying on her bed with her back to me. I carefully walked over to her and sat down. I rested my hand on her shoulder and felt her shaking as she cried. "I feel horrible. I swear she means nothing to me. I just wanted to prove to you that you felt the same." I laid down next to her and pulled her back against my front.

She pushed herself against me and snuggled in. I wrapped my arm around her waist, "Please forgive me."

"I don't know if I can."

Tensing up, I squeezed my eyes closed and inhaled her scent. She smelt like lavender. "At least give me a chance."

This time, she tensed up in anger. "What makes you think you deserve one?"

Pulling away from her, I made her look at me. "Don't forget you were all over Keigo."

Her eyes narrowed, "Only because you were all over Sukki!"

I smiled, "You're beautiful when you're mad, you know that?" I leaned in closer.

A light blush let up her tear stained face, "You're not too bad looking yourself."

"Let me give you a reason to give me a chance."

"What's the reason?"

I took a deep breath and stared straight into her eyes, "Rukia, I've never felt like this with anyone. Just being around you makes my day better. I hate seeing other guys around you. I just want you. No other girl has ever come close to making me feel like this." I grabbed her hand and scooted closer, the sheets rustled slightly. "I don't want to go to school Monday knowing I fucked up with the most amazing girl I've ever met. I don't want to wake up another day feeling like I'm losing you. I want to go to school Monday knowing I'll see you and be able to kiss you whenever I want. I want to wake up each morning knowing that you're with me and no other guy."

She shook her head and wiped her eyes. "I need some time to think. I can't just jump back into this. You need to leave."

My heart felt like it had been ripped from my chest. I looked down and nodded, "Alright."

I stood up and her violet eyes locked with mine. She whispered, "Wait for me."

I gave her a small smile, "Always."

We said no more and I walked out of her house, leaving my heart with her.

* * *

**_RUKIA'S POV_**

It had hurt telling Ichigo I needed to think about it. But it was also the truth. I didn't know if I could trust him. What if he was like that with all the girls? Shaking the thought away, I climbed out of Byakuya's car and headed into school.

Monday morning had finally rolled around, finding me locked in my room wearing the same clothes I had wore Saturday. I hadn't left my room once and Byakuya let me have my space. He tried every so often to get me to eat but I flat out refused. This morning though, I got up, took a shower, ate breakfast and here I am.

During the car ride, our conversation was limited and I never gave more than a three word answer. I could tell he wanted to talk to me but I really wasn't in the mood.

As I walked into school, my phone vibrated. Flipping it open, I noticed I had two new texts from Ichigo and Byakuya.

The one from Ichigo read:

_Good morning :)_

I smiled slightly and read the one from Byakuya.

_Five o'clock Hisana's grave, just me and you. If you want._

My smile faltered and I thought about it. At least he had given me a choice. I was also proud to know he had learned how to text. I quickly replied.

_Sounds good. Five it is._

I didn't receive a reply so I shrugged it off and turned off my phone. I walked into homeroom and stopped, my mouth open wide. "Rukia! Who are all the flowers from!?" People were shouted.

My desk was covered in beautiful purple roses. Someone had even taken the time to tape them around my desk legs. I walked over and searched through the jungle of roses for a note or something. When I finally found it, it was at the very bottom.

I pulled it out and opened it.

_Rukia,_

_I read somewhere that the purple rose meant something. So I looked it up and found out their meaning. They stand for enchantment and love at first sight._

_The first day I saw you, I was enchanted by your beauty and I knew right then and there that I was in love._

_You make me want to be a better person. I love you, Rukia._

_- Ichigo_

I smiled and shoved the note in my bag to hide it from everyone. "Did you find a note?" I looked up to see Orihime next to me.

Shaking my head, I shrugged, "No. Whoever it was didn't leave one."

"Oh, well that kind of stinks. Maybe it's a secret admirer!"

I rolled my eyes and laughed, "Yeah, maybe."

"Alright class, settle down. Rukia, during lunch you're going to have to find something to do with all the flowers."

I nodded and took my seat, setting all the flowers on the ground. The door swung open and I watched Ichigo and Renji walk in. My eyes locked with Ichigo's golden ones and he smiled.

Class started and everyone took their seats. I felt Ichigo's eyes on my most of the day and tried my best to ignore it.

I jerked away from my thoughts during class when something hit me in the side of the head. I looked to my right and saw Ichigo grinning at me.

The paper made little noise as I opened it.

I - _did u like the flowers?_

I hid my smile and made sure the teacher wasn't watching as I wrote back.

R - _what flowers?_

He muffled a laugh and scribbled an answer.

I - _haha dont play dumb with me._

R - _are u calling me dumb?_

He shook his head and threw it back.

I - _ur avoiding the answer._

R - _yes i liked the flowers :)_

I - _good :)_

I folded the paper up and put it with the note from earlier. When class ended everyone left the classroom, leaving me to my mess of a desk. I began placing each rose in a vase the art teacher had let me borrow.

"You want some help?"

Looking over, I smiled up at Ichigo's friend, Renji. "Sure. That'd be nice."

He kneeled down beside me and started pulling the ones that were wrapped around the legs of the desk. "So, you ever figure out who they're from?"

"Nope, it's still a mystery."

"I'll bet you ten bucks it was Ichigo."

I placed another rose in the vase and glanced at him, "What makes you think it was him?"

He shrugged and I couldn't stop myself from watching his muscles ripple under his school uniform. "He talks about you a lot later." He smiled and I noticed his had almost a fox smile. "No offense, but it kind of gets annoying."

I laughed, "Don't worry about it. I'd probably get annoyed to if someone kept talking about one thing."

We talked for the rest of the lunch period even after we had finished cleaning up the roses. We shared my peanut butter and jelly sandwich and talked about the most random things. What we liked to do, what we wanted to do when we were old enough, our life plans, our favorite animal, color, food and so much more. We found out we had a lot in common and he felt like an older brother. When I told him that he burst out laughing and rustled my hair, telling me I was like a little sister.

I hadn't brought up my sister in fear of ruining the moment. He explained that he was an only child and his parents were divorced.

Lunch ended and everyone walked back in from outside. A few minutes later, lunch ended and students began to pile back in.

* * *

**_ICHIGO'S POV_**

I walked back into class and saw that Rukia had cleaned up all the roses and put the vases next to the window.

Renji was standing next to Rukia's desk. He said something and they both laughed. Her eyes shown with such happiness that I almost throttled Renji. How come he got to see her this happy?

When the teacher walked in and Renji sat down, I pushed away my anger at Renji. He was my best friend. No matter how much I liked Rukia, I wasn't going to ruin my friendship with him.

He nudged me during class and I turned towards him. "Hey, you're right dude. Rukia's pretty amazing. You better treat her like a fuckin' princess." He gave me a grin and winked. I knew then he wouldn't be a threat. He laughed softly, "I know that face."

"What face?"

"The face you make when you realize someone isn't a threat when it comes to a girl you want to sleep with." His face scrunched a bit, "Except there's something difference about this face. I can't place what it is."

Though he didn't knew what it was, I did. It was because I loved Rukia. She wasn't some girl I just wanted to have sex with. She was something more. Something much more.

School finally ended and Rukia left without giving me another glance. It hurt but I ignored it. She had every right to be like that.

All I had to do now was wait.

It's a bad thing I'm not patient.


	11. The Language of the Flowers

**_Yay. Your guy's reviews are amazing :) I love how a lot of you help out with my writing. It really does help me a lot and I'm so grateful! I don't honesty know how much longer this story will go on but I do have A LOT of stuff to add in so it'll probably be quite a few chapters. I just wanted to thank everyone again for all their great feed back and everything. You guys are SERIOUSLY what keep this story going._**

**_RUKIA'S POV_**

As soon as the bell rang, signalling the end of school, I raced towards Byakuya's car. My heart beat fast as I saw it pull up.

We didn't go to Hisana's grave very much, but when we did, Byakuya always brought the most beautiful flowers and some cleaning supplies. The sun would always be low in the sky by the time we got back home.

I swung open the door and jumped in. Byakuya was in the driver's seat and I could tell he had gone home and changed into something nicer. He always looked good when we visited her. "Are you ready?" He asked.

"Yeah."

The car ride was silent and I didn't really mind, it gave me time to think. Ichigo was my main problem. I wanted to forgive him. I wanted to tell him that I wasn't mad and we could be together. But I felt like he had betrayed my trust. Of course it wasn't fair that I had been flirting with Keigo, and I regretted that, but he had gone even farther. The way he made her laugh and the way he smiled while he talked to her had really hurt. My fists clenched at my sides and I struggled to calm myself. I had left the flowers from him at school by the window and promised the teacher I would bring them home tomorrow. I just didn't have enough room for them today.

_RING!!!!!!!_

The sound shook me from my thoughts and I glanced at my brother. His phone was sitting between us in the front cup holder. The sound he had put as his ring tone was like a dying cow. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the number and I smiled when he clicked ignore. "I told no one to call me today."

"It's fine. I mean, I know your work is important to you."

He shook his head, "No. Today is just the three of us. I promised you."

My smile widened and I looked out the window. "Thank you."

We arrived just a few minutes later and I hopped out. Byakuya went around back and popped the trunk. He was probably getting the flowers and the stuff to clean.

I looked around the graveyard and sighed. It was always depressing to be here but at the same time, I relieved. The graves were all in neat rows with a good foot or two between the separate head stones.

The flowers he had brought this time were nine roses, a red Carnation, a Heartsease and a Forget-Me-Not. The Forget-Me-Not and nine roses were the ones he always brought. At first, I thought he just liked those the best, but I later learned they all had meanings. The nine roses meant 'We'll be together forever' and the Forget-Me-Not symbolized true love. I'd have to look up the other two later.

I carried the cleaning equipment and he carried the fowers up the hill and placed them in a vase beside her grave. He had had the vase installed next to her grave so we could place the flowers there. We both sat down next to her grave got to work.

We took turns scrubbing away dirt and cutting away grass that had grown over the sides. "Do you miss her?" I whispered.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulder like he always day and held me close. "Everyday."

I blinked away the tears and leaned into his shoulder. "Tell me the story again."

He didn't have to ask what I meant. "We met on Christmas Eve." As he began the story, I could picture it.

* * *

_A young man, no more than twenty-seven rushed down the street. Snow and ice pulled at his jacket making the task of getting to his car even all the more difficult. He cursed silently and blinked away the snow in his eyes._

_That's when he saw her. She was running towards him full speed, her hands full of bags and her eyes down. Before he could shot to her, she ran into him. They tumbled to the ground in a mess of limps, groceries and presents. "I'm so sorry!" She said, hurrying to collect her lost possessions._

_He shook his head and began helping her place the items in the bag. "No it's fine. Don't worry about it. Are you alright?"_

_They both reached for the last box and their hands touched. Both looking up, their eyes locked and they shared a smile. "I'm fine. Are you okay?"_

_Nodding, he helped her to her feet. "I'm fine. Listen, do you need a ride home? My car is only a block back the way you came."_

_She thought it over for a minute. "I don't know. I shouldn't. I mean I just met you."_

_He frowned slightly, "Oh, I see."_

_"I'm sorry. I just-" she looked around._

_He shrugged, "It's fine."_

_As he began to walk away, she called out. "Wait! Actually, I would love a ride home."_

_The man smiled, "Well then. Let's hurry. My fingers are getting numb."_

_"What did you say your name was?" She asked after fastening her seat belt._

_"Byakuya, and your's?"_

_She gave her a smile that melted his heart, "Hisana."_

* * *

"After that, we went back to your house and your family invited me for dinner."

The memory of that Christmas made me smile. He had looked so out of place in our little house. My mom and dad had been so grateful that he had brought her home safely. When he laid eyes on me he tensed. "You look like a mini Hisana."

At first I had been angry. Being compared to my sister was agravating but when I saw the way he looked at her, I knew that I wanted something like that and maybe my likeliness to my sister would help.

We sat together for a short time and when the sun began to set, Byakuya started picking up the rest of our stuff. "Do you think Hisana ever thinks of us?"

He smiled down at me and I felt like my sister for a moment. "Every chance she gets."

The car ride home was just as silent as on the way there. It always was.

When we got home, he went to his room and I to mine. This is how the night would always end and I knew by tomorrow morning I would have completely forgiven him.

My room was still a mess and would probably be like this until further notice. As I changed out of my school uniform and pulled a clean one out for tomorrow, something caught my eye. Before walking over, I pulled on a pair of silky grey pajama's. I walked over to the window and pulled it open. Whatever it was was taped to the outside of the window with a note attached.

I took it off and read the note.

_A beautiful rose for a beautiful girl._

_-As Always, Ichigo._

The flowers was beautiful. It was a Hyacinth. Thankfully my computer wasn't one of the things I had destroyed and I got on the computer and looked up the meanings of all the flowers from today.

The red Carnation meant 'My poor heart aches for you' and the Heartsease meant 'I am always thinking of you'. My heart clenched for Byakuya. He had fallen in love just to have it torn out from under him. I looked up the Hyacinth next. It's meaning was 'I am sorry, please forgive me.'

Smiling to myself, I shook my head. He had a long way to go before I was ready to make up. Besides, me and the girls still had a plan.

**_Yep, there it is. I'm not going to lie, this chapter sucked. I was really hoping to make it better with Byakuya and Rukia's relationship but it all felt forced :/ I hope you atleast enjoy a lil of it. My next chapter is going to be for all of those who reviewed and such. It would be an actual chapter but it will be like a thanks to everyone. So, if you have any questions of comments you want me to respond to send them in :D_**

**_THANKS!_**


	12. AN : Thank You!

**_I want to thank everyone so much for all the kind reviews I've gotten for the story._**

**_I hadn't really expected it to get this popular and I'm so happy to realize that so many people love it._**

**_To be honest, I still can't believe you're all reviewing. Of course, I'm VERY grateful so I want to take the time to say thanks. I probably won't get to everyone but these are to some people I've really noticed._**

Nekura Enzeru - You were the first one to review my story and for that, I thank you. I'm glad you really liked the story and I hope I can keep you interested.

.Writers - Your reviews are always so helpful and nice. I like how you guess at what the next chapter is going to be! It makes me happy to know my story has grabbed your attention :).

Mikazuki Mitsukai - I'm grateful for your help. Without a lot of your reviews I probably would still be making some mistakes :) I hope you know you're a big help. Thank you so much!

Hatake Tsughi - Thanks. No matter what the chapter, you've always told me how much you like it. Reading your's seriously makes my day. They make me smile and help continue with the story. Thank you so much :)

Kiba Wolf - As always, your reviews are VERY helpful! And like with everyone else, I am so grateful! It really makes my day knowing that their are people out there who are helping make my story better! Your little guesses on the next chapters are fun to read to! Thank you!

DragonsMaiden66 - Of all the people, you are like my favorite reviewer! Don't get me wrong, I'm love all my other reviewers but I love getting your review! They always make me smile and it really does mean a lot to me that you've review each chapter!

angelic93 - You have been SOOOO helpful! Without you, the story wouldn't have gone in the way it did. I don't know how I can express how much I love your reviews! All I can say is thank you!

WOof heAD - Real quick, I like your name lol. It's very unique! I can see where you're confused so I'm going to try and clear it all up. Ichigo has always had girls falling over him but he's never met the one, you know? The kind of girl he wants is one who doesn't just love him for his looks. But someone who will be more of a challenge. Someone he has to prove himself too. And that's where Rukia comes in. She's this girl who wanted nothing to do with him. She's like his forbidden fruit. He wants her but he can't have her. He has to overcome the _challenge _to get to Rukia's heart. Does that make any sense? I hope so :)

**_Well, that is only a few of my reviewer. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for everyone of you but these are the people who either had questions they needed answered, or people who have helped me out. If you've got any questions, please feel free to leave me a review or a message and I can post your answer on here :)_**


	13. Ichigo's Nightmare Come True

**_Yayyyy! Alrighty, here it is! Chapter 12, I think. Lol enjoy and review :)_**

**_ICHIGO'S POV_**

I looked at my dad with horror. "You're kidding."

He shook his head, that stupid smile still plastered to his face. "Nope. They'll be here tomorrow! Isn't that great, son!?"

"How can that be great dad?" I hollered, throwing my hands into the air and storming into my room.

My dad had just told me the _good _news. Bullshit. There was nothing good about it. My half brothers, Kaien and Shuhei would be coming in tomorrow. And they were staying with us. We're only half related because of my dad. Before my dad had met my mother, he had been married to Fumiko Shiba at the age of twenty-one. They were together for about two months before they found out she was pregnant. They raised Kaien but things didn't work out and they divorced when he was six.

Barely a year later, just after his twenty-eighth birthday, he had met Hana Hisagi. They got married three weeks after she found out she was pregnant. With Shuhei at the age of three, they divorced and he met my mom. And now, he was forty-five with a seventeen year old son and two thirteen year old daughts living at home.

Shuhei and Kaien had decided to stick with their mothers maiden names. I groaned, Kaien was probably my favorite of the two. He was a little reckless but deep down he was a good man and a devoted husband. He was now twenty-seven and married. His wife, Miyako was to say the least, amazing. Every time she came over the house smell great because she always had a home cooked meal.

All the problems started with Shuhei. He was fresh out of high school and looking for shit to start. At nineteen he had been arrest four times. Once for robbery, twice for aggravated assault and again for trespassing. Plus, everytime I saw him he had a new girlfriend. The last one had been a busty red head who tried to get in bed with my dad. When we told Shuhei about it, he laughed and told my dad he didn't know what he was missing. It had been an awkward Christmas.

Don't get me wrong, I love my brothers. Family sticks together no matter what. But the thing is, they're embaressing. And the worst part?

They have this weird habit of showing up at my school.

"Aw, shit," I groaned.

* * *

**_RUKIA'S POV_**

School the next day started out pretty boring and I was disappointed to find out Ichigo hadn't put a surprise for me anywhere. As weird as it is, the gesture was sweet and I was looking forward to something.

But nevertheless, nothing happened and I was sitting in class alone as everyone ate lunch outside. When the door opened I was surprised to see Renji walking in. "Hey," I said as he took a seat next to me.

"Hey, why are you in here?"

Smiling, I replied, "I could ask you the same thing."

He shrugged, "Well, I noticed you weren't outside or on the roof so I came to investigate. To be honest, I'm surprised Ichigo hasn't come in here."

"Well, I sort of told him I needed some time to think."

"Ah, that explains things." We sat there in a comfortable silence as I finished my sandwich.

A loud commotion outside the door, jerked us up from our chairs and racing towards the hall. Renji threw the door open and I was shocked by what I saw.

"Let go of my head you bastard!" Ichigo was bent over in a head lock by another kid. Only, he didn't look too much like a kid. Especially with that 69 tattoo on his face.

As my eyes trailed over him, I noticed the striking resemblance between him and Ichigo. I caught sight of another guy to their right and my jaw dropped. He was almost identical to the guy who was giving Ichigo a very painful looking noogie. He had a grin on his face but was shaking his head. "What's wrong, little brother?"

Little brother? Ichigo had older brothers? I let out a snort and suddenly Ichigo saw me. "Rukia!" He shouted, breaking away from his brother.

I gave him a sheepish grin, "Hey Ichigo."

He walked over to me and rubbed the back of his neck, "Hey, sorry about that. So are my-"

Before he could finish the one with the tattoo on his cheek appeared beside him. He swung his arm around Ichigo's neck and dragged them both down to my size. "Hey there," he said and winked. "You got a name?"

Ichigo elbow him in the stomach and shoved him off. "Get lost, Shuhei."

Shuhei shoved Ichigo back, "What? Is she your girlfriend or something?"

A blush formed over Ichigo's face, "Well no, but-"

Once again, he was interrupted, "Then I don't have to leave her alone!" He walked back over to me and I tried to hide myself behind Renji's body. Something about this guy just screamed I'm-A-Badboy.

A shudder racked my body, "Um, I'm Rukia Kuchiki."

His eyes widened slightly and my attention was drawn to the scars across his right eye. They must've needed stitches. "Really now? A Kuchiki."

He looked over his shoulder at the one boy who remained silent, "Hey Kaien! Did you hear that? She's a Kuchiki. Our little brother has the hots for the sister of a guy who hates him!" He let out a loud laugh. Honestly? I didn't see what was so funny.

The other guy walked over and slapped him in the back of the head. "Quit being an idiot. You're scaring the shit out of her." He gave me a friendly smile. "I'm Kaien Shiba."

"Nice to meet your Kaien."

His eyes narrowed, "Call me Mr. Shiba."

I nodded, "Yes, sir."

A grin spread across his face, "I'm just messing with ya! You can call me Kaien! But it's fine to call me Mr. Shiba too!"

Yep. There was deffinately something wrong with this family.

**_I know it's short but I didn't want to give to much away because Kaien and Shuhei are going to be pretty important. I know there's going to be people unhappy with my decision of adding them as brothers. But no matter what you say, my mind will not be changed. I've got a reason for what I'm doing. Thanks again and review :)_**


	14. Let's Play A Game

**_Aw the reviews make me happy!!! Thanks to everyone who review and I apologize for the lateness of this chapter :) Enjoy!_**

**_RUKIA'S POV_**

I looked up at Ichigo with confusion. Why hadn't he told me about his brothers? His eyes locked with mine and he gave me a sheepish grin, "I'm sorry about them. They don't really mean any harm." He shot the two a glare from over his shoulder.

Ichigo looked over at Renji, "What were you doing in there?" He asked.

Renji shrugged, "I came looking for Rukia. Why didn't you tell me your brothers were coming in?"

Running his hand through his hair, Ichigo let out a sigh. "I was hoping they weren't."

As they talked, I looked over at Kaien and Shuhei. They looked more like each other than Ichigo, but I could still see the relation. From the looks of it, Kaien and Shuhei had gotten the hair color from either their moms or their dad. Ichigo must've gotten his hair from his mom. While Ichigo and Shuhei had kept their hair short and spiky, Kaien had kept his a little bit longer in the back giving him an older look.

From the looks of them all, Kaien was the oldest, Shuhei was the middle and Ichigo was the baby. I smiled at the thought. Ichigo had probably always been picked on by his older brothers. I watched as the three began to argue again. Ichigo was telling them to go home and they were laughing, saying that he wasn't happy to see them.

I looked over at Renji, "Does this happen a lot?" I asked.

He laughed and shrugged, "Just about every time they visit."

"How are they related?" I asked.

"Ichigo's dad was married two times before and they were the results."

"I'm guessing the facial features all come from his dad then."

Renji shrugged once more, "I guess so. I'm not sure how exactly, seeing as their dad looks nothing like them." He looked down at his watch, "Crap. I've got to go meet Tatsuki. I'll see you around Rukia. Good luck with this."

He ran off and I looked back at Ichigo. He was arguing with the oldest brother, Kaien. I glanced around quickly, where had Shuhei gone?

"Looking for me?" I turned and slammed straight into someone's chest. "So this is the famous Rukia Kuchiki, huh?" His eyes traveled up and down my body. "I can see why Ichigo loves you."

The look sent shivers down my spine, "Y-yeah." I swallowed the lump in my throat. "So, you're Ichigo brother, right?"

"Half brother yeah." His eyes continued to race up and down my body. I pulled at the hem of my skirt, desperately trying to hide as much skin as possible. Our eyes locked instantly, "Am I making you nervous?" He asked. His voice was like ice, cutting fear into my heart.

I swallowed again and took a step back. "No. I'm just nervous about meeting Ichigo's brothers. I mean, I didn't even know you guys existed."

His eyebrows shot up, "So our little brother hasn't meantioned us?"

Shaking my head, I took another step back. I caught sight of the tattoo on his face and studied it. I knew what 69 meant and it would've looked hot on him if he wasn't such a creep. "I should probably get to class."

As I made my move to leave, his hand snaked around my wrist, pulling me close. "Want to know how I got the tattoo?" His voice was barely above a whispered.

My legs began to shake. His eyes seemed to be piercing into mine. I felt as if he was looking into me, seeing all my secrets, my fears, my hopes. Everything. I ripped my arm from his grasp. "I'm going to have to ask you to not touch me again."

I couldn't believe how my voice sounded. It was threatening and bold. It didn't stop Shuhei though and he grinned, "Damn, you sure have some spunk don't you?"

My heart raced, "Leave me alone."

His smile only widened, "I don't think so." He grinned down at me, "Let's play a game."

"A wha-?"

Before I could even register what was happening, I was thrown over his shoulder. "I've got her Kaien! Are you ready Ichigo!?"

My mouth dropped on in horror. They were going to kill me! Or worse! And Ichigo was in on it! As tears sprang to my eyes, I looked back at Ichigo as Shuhei ran. He was running full speed after us, anger radiating from him like a hose. "This isn't funny you guys! Sooner or later someone is going to file a report!" His eyes locked with mine, "I'm so sorry Rukia! They won't do anything to you! I promise!" His voice turned steely. "They do this every year to the first girl who talks to me! It's just a joke!"

Shuhei's shoulder pressed into my stomach, making it hard to breath. "Ichigo!" I choked out. Maybe he wasn't in on it. Judging by the look on his face, he was pissed about this.

I heard a door swing open and the light from the sun hit me hard. They had taken me outside. "Hope you don't mind the little tradition of ours. It's just a little fun." Kaien was pulling me off of Shuhei's shoulder and pushing me towards a car. "I swear to you, nothing bad is going to happen. We give Ichigo three hours to find you wherever we leave you and if by then he doesn't find you, we take you home. We'll both stay with you of course, to ensure your-"

The tattooed boy groaned, "Just get her in the car! Ichigo's coming!"

Kaien closed the door and buckled himself and me in the back. "Alright."

The engine roared to life and we shot forward like a bullet. I looked behind me to see Ichigo standing where the car had been parked moments ago. He was yelling something and I could barely read his lips. _I will find you, Rukia! _Is what it looked like.

We took a sharp turn and then he was gone from sight.

I turned around and sighed, "Where are you taking me?"

Kaien gave me a reassuring smile. "We can't tell you. But, as I was saying, we'll both be with you to ensure your safety and make sure you're comfy. We've also got food."

"How is Ichigo going to find me?" I asked.

Shuhei smiled at me from the rear-view mirror. "You'll see."

* * *

**_ICHIGO'S POV_**

I watched as they drove Rukia away, rounding the corner at almost fifty miles an hour. My heart clenched. "Rukia," I whispered.

Letting out a frustrated scream, I ran back inside the school. I went straight up to the roof and found Renji with the others. "Hey, where's your brothers?" He asked, seeing me.

"They're playing the game."

His eyes widened. Renji was the only friend besides Orihime who knew about the game. And she only knew because they had played it with her three years before. "Fuck!" Renji yelled, standing up. "Anything yet?"

I shook my head. "No. But it'll be coming soon. I'm going to need your help."

This time he looked confused, "Why though? You always find them within an hour. She won't be gone long."

I started walking off the roof and Renji followed. "I think my dad has told them how much Rukia means to me. If so, they're going to know I'd do anything to get to her."

We walked down the hallways. Our shoes echoed against the walls. "You think they'll be even more detailed about it then? As in, they'll try to hide her in an even harder place?"

Nodding, I led the way outside and towards me car. "Exactly, which means I'm going to need your help if I want to find her within the three hours."

He got in the passenger seat and buckled up. "What happens after the third hour?"

I shrugged, buckled up and started the car. "I've got no clue and I don't plan on finding out."

**_I'm sorry this was short. The next will be longer! I hope you all enjoyed this! review please :)_**


	15. It All Begins

**_YAY! I'm so happy that everyone loves the story!!_**

**_RUKIA'S POV_**

I didn't know how long we had been driving, but by the time we stopped, I was hungry. "I'm hungry."

Kaien looked over at me, "Didn't you just have lunch?"

Shrugging, I looked around. "Yeah, but I'm still hungry."

Up front, Shuhei sighed. "I guess I'll run out and get her something." His eyes locked with mine in the mirror, "What do you want?"

I thought it over for a minute, "Is there a Dairy Queen anywhere near here?"

"Yeah, there's one about ten minutes away."

Nodding, I said, "I want a vanilla ice cream swirl."

"Alright, I'll be back in fifteen minutes."

Kaien helped me out of the car and lead me towards an old abandoned warehouse. There was trash pretty much everywhere. What part of town was this? There was a group of guys standing about twenty feet from us. They were all looking me up and down and pulled at my skirt again. "You okay?"

I looked up at Kaien and shook my head, "Those guys over there give me the creeps."

He glanced over at them. "Don't worry about them. They're friends. They're here to help us keep you safe."

"Why are you so concerned with keeping me safe?"

We walked into the warehouse and I took in the view. It was completely empty. The beems holding it up were rusting and the paint on the walls was chipping. Spiderwebs hung everywhich way and dust covered everything. "Well, this isn't the safest part of town and there's a lot of guys here who would stop at nothing to get to you."

"Then why are you even playing this game? Why take the risk?"

For a minute he looked ashamed, "Ichigo never comes to see Shuhei or me. This way, we learn more about him. You'll probably be bombarded with questions from everyone."

"Why don't you just ask Ichigo?"

"He doesn't like to talk with us."

I followed him upstairs into a small room. Surprisingly, the room was clean and well kept. It had a small tv in one corner along with a bed, a shelf of books, CD's and movies, a table with about seven chairs around it, a stereo, and a pack of playing cards. "Wow." It even had a little window.

Kaien laughed, "Yeah. I'm going to go outside and talk to the guys. They'll probably be up in a minute to say hey. Trust me. They may seem scary but they're harmless unless angry. So as long as you don't piss them off, you're fine."

I groaned and sat down on the bed. "Awesome."

He walked out and I sat alone in the room. I listened for any noise. When I didn't hear anything, I pulled out my phone and quickly called Ichigo.

_"Hello?"_

"Ichigo?"

_"Rukia!? Thank God! Where are you?"_

"I don't know. I'm swear near a Da-"

The door was thrown open and a guy walked in. "Hey! Who are you calling!?"

_"Rukia! Tell me where you are!"_

"Ichigo! They took me to a-" I was cut off as the guy ripped the cell phone from my hands and threw it to someone behind him.

Shuhei grinned at me. "Tsk, tsk Rukia. That's cheating." He put the phone up to his ear. "Hey little brother."

I could just barely hear Ichigo yelling at the other end of the line.

"Did you get our first clue?" He got his answer, "What do you mean it didn't make sense?" He ran his hand through his hair. "No you idiot, it's simple."

My eyes caught sight of the bag in Shuhei's hand. The Dairy Queen logo was printed clearly on it. My stomach growled, "Can I have that?" I asked.

He looked down at it and threw it to me. "Yeah, here." His attention was drawn back to Ichigo. "No, not you. I was talking to your girlfriend." I didn't bother correcting him.

I pulled out the ice cream and began to lick at it as Shuhei argued with Ichigo. "Do you get it now?" He rolled his eyes. "About time. It wasn't that hard." They hung up and he looked at me. "Don't pull a stunt like that again."

My gaze shifted to his friend. He was much taller than me, probably even taller than Ichigo. His eyes were this amazing blue color. They were mesmerizing. His hair was almost the same color. Possibly dyed but whoever did it had done a damn good job. "What?" He growled.

I looked away and continued eating my ice cream. "Nothing," I muttered.

Shuhei put my phone in the pocket of his baggy, ripped jeans. "Alright Grimmjow. Stay here with her for a little bit. Ashido will be here in a few minutes to take your place."

'Grimmjow' looked at him, "Where are you going?"

"Kaien and I have to come up with the clues for Ichigo."

As Shuhei walked out, I studied Grimmjow. He was definitely muscular and would probably have no problem breaking me in half. He wore a button up black shirt but he left it opened, giving a me a perfect view of his toned chest. His dark blue jeans fit him amazingly. If I had seen him anywhere else I would've thought he was a model.

He took a seat on the bed and pulled out his own phone. I started thinking of a way to get his phone. He looked up at me and grinned, giving him an almost cat like appearance. "I wouldn't try anything if I were you."

Damn. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He let out a bark of laughter and he leaned on his knees, "You're cute when you act stupid."

A blush formed on my face. He reached out and ruffled my hair, "Too bad you're too young."

I huffed, "How old are you anyway?"

He leaned back, "Twenty-five."

"How do you know I'm too young."

His gaze pierced into me, "Because you're seventeen."

"So? That's only eight years apart." I smiled. A little harmless flirting wouldn't hurt anyone.

Shaking his head, he laughed, "It's also illegal."

"Only if we have sex."

The way he looked at me sent shivers down my spine and I blushed again. His laughter echoed through my eyes, "Maybe I like sex?"

This time, I laughed. "Who says I don't?"

We stayed silent for a minute before our laughs filled the room. He got up and walked over to the window. "You're not bad kid."

I finished my ice cream, "You're not too bad yourself."

"Can you play poker?" He asked.

The challenge hung in the air like a mist. "The real question is: Can _you_?"

* * *

**_ICHIGO'S POV_**

I looked down at my radio and checked the time. Rukia had been gone for over forty minutes. "Dammit!" I growled. Renji and I had tried following their car but it was no use. Now we were sitting outside a gas station in my car.

Renji sat beside me with a notebook and a pencil. "So far we're got this:

_First clue- It's a place no one uses anymore._

_Second clue- If it was still used, you could leave things there._

_Third clue- We use to go through this places when we were younger."_

Renji looked at me, "What does that last one mean?"

"Shuhei said it was simple. I'm guessing it's suppose to trigger a memory."

"Where did you guys use to hang out?"

I shrugged, "Just about everywhere. We would look through houses being built, houses that were about to be torn down, abandoned buildings, things like that."

Renji scanned over the clues again, "So like an abandoned warehouse?"

Nodding, I looked over at the paper. "That's it! If no one uses it now, but someone use to leave stuff there it's an abandoned warehouse!" I punched his in the arm.

He smiled, "Alright, now all we have to find out is where it's at and if there's more, which one."

I pulled out my phone and sent Kaien a text, _"Ur in an abandon warehouse. where?"_

A few minutes passed and I got a reply.

_Peace flies through the air on the corner where people come to a halt. The water in the air, filled with salt. Could you buy me a chocolate malt?_

I read it aloud and Renji raised an eyebrow, "What?"

Groaning, I locked the message in my phone. "I have no clue." I looked again at my radio's clock. "Great, it's been an hour and a half sense they took her."

"We'll find her."

I looked at Renji and smiled, "Kaien and Shuhei better hope I do."

**_Well here it is. I hope everyone enjoyed it! Review and tell me what you think._**

**_P.S. Honestly, who guessed I would add in Grimmjow and Ashido? lol_**


	16. Figuring It Out & A Kickass Car Chase?

**_You guys seriously know how to review!! I've got one hundred reviews and I swear every single one of them has kept this story going!! I'm lovin' all the feed back and I feel so amazing! Lol so here's chapter 15 :)_**

**_RUKIA'S POV_**

Two hours had passed and I had won thirty bucks from Grimmjow. After I had won twenty bucks a guy named Ashido had walked in. Almost immediately Grimmjow had sent him out, declaring he was going nowhere until he got his money back.

After I won the last ten, he quit normal poker and decided strip poker was better. Now he was in only his jeans and boxers. His muscles were tensed in frustration. I, on the other hand, was sitting on the bed, my cards held close, with only my socks gone.

"Ha!" He cried triumphantly, placing his cards down in front of me. "Take that bitch," he laughed.

Laughing along with him, I placed down my own cards. "Off with the pants!" I announced.

"You minx!" He hollered, looking down at my cards.

Grinning, I pointed at his jeans. "Take them off Grimmjow! Or are you ashamed?"

He winked and stood up. With a quick jerk, he unzipped his pants and they fell to the ground with a soft thud. He was definitely all muscle. "Sexy," I said, winking back at him.

Shaking his head, he redealed the deck. "I think you've messed with these cards. You just want to see me naked."

I placed my hand over my mouth in mock surprise, "Who told you my plan?"

He laughed and dealt out the cards, "I knew it."

We played another round and I smiled at my cards, "Are you ready to lose those boxers?" I asked.

Our eyes locked, "If you win this and I have to pull down my boxers, you owe me a date."

Something passed through me and I grinned, "I'll think about it."

We put our cards down and his jaw dropped. "You've got to be kidding me!" He shoved himself up and grabbed the band of his boxers.

The door swung open and Kaien and Shuhei stood in the door. "What the hell, Grimmjow?!"

His face turned beat red and he grabbed for his jeans, "It's not what it looks like!" He said, frantically tugging on his jeans.

"She's dating Ichigo!" Kaien shouted.

I stood up, "Actually, Ichigo and I are just friends."

They all looked at me and I explained. "Well, we were sort of secretly dating then he started flirting with this girl while he was on a fake double date with her and me and Keigo. After that, I said it was over and now we're sort of working it out but yeah..." I trialed off.

"So, this means you're free for that date?" Grimmjow asked pulling on his shirt.

I laughed and Shuhei slapped him on the back of the head, "Go down stairs with the others you pervert."

Grimmjow scoffed, "You're one to talk," he said as he walked out the door, but not before winking at me once more.

Kaien threw my socks at me laughing, "I see you and Grimmjow have become close."

Shrugging, I pulled my socks on. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. He's not so bad."

Pulling a chair up, Shuhei turned its back to me and straddled it. "So, tell us."

"What?" I asked, looking from one to the other.

Kaien moved a seat next to Shuhei. "About Ichigo."

Something flashed across their faces. "Tell us about him," they said in union.

I suddenly felt bad for them. All they wanted was to be a part of their little brother's life and he wanted nothing to do with them. "He's amazing," was how I started out.

* * *

**_ICHIGO'S POV_**

Renji and I had decided to go into a coffee shop and look over all our notes.

"Alright, '_Peace flies through the air on the corner where people come to a halt. The water in the air, filled with salt. Could you buy me a chocolate malt?' _Is what we have to go on. That and an abandoned warehouse."

I groaned, "Okay, lets cut it into pieces. _Peace flies through the air on the corner where people come to a halt." _I wrote that sentence down on a separate piece of paper. "Peace flies through the air," I mutter. I looked out the window, "Peace flies?" I whispered to no one.

Renji scooted his chair back, "I'm going to grab a coffee, you want something?" I shook my head and he walked off.

A flash of white passed the window and I leaned forward. A pure white dove landed on one of the tables outside. "A dove." My eyes widened as the pieces connected. "A dove!" I shouted, jumping up.

I turned to tell Renji and noticed everyone staring at me. I gave them an apologetic smile and sat back down. My hands shook with excitement as I waited for Renji. He sat down and handed me a donut, "I got you something anyway. What was with the freak out moment?" He asked.

"I've got the first part figured out! Well, sort of."

"That's better than nothing. What have you got."

I flipped the paper I had written _Peace flies through the air on the corner where people come to a halt. _I made a quick slash between _air _and _on. _"Peace flies through the air. It's a dove. Doves symbolize peace," I said, grinning happily.

He smiled at me and nodded, "Alright, good. So it's a dove on a corner?" He stared of for a minute, "Could it be a street name?"

"On the corner of Dove Street!" I slammed my hands on the table in excitement.

A man walked over, "Sir, if you keep this up, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Sorry, I'll quit." He nodded and walked off.

Renji shook his head, "So, where is Dove Street?" He asked.

My smile faded, "I have no clue. I've only heard my dad talk about it once. He had to go there once, he did say it had a great view of the sea."

We sat there for a minute, trying to think of anything that would help. Renji sat up straight, "Wait, did you say it had a good view of the sea?"

I nodded, "Yeah, so?"

_"The water in the air, filled with salt. _Ichigo! The sea. The sea has salt in it so when it evaporates the air has a salty taste to it." Everything suddenly connected.

"Come on!" I shouted, grabbing my donut and notes, and racing out to my car.

Renji was right behind me. "Where are we going?"

"Dairy Queen."

He gave me a stupid look, "Dairy Queen? What the hell Ichigo? How can you be thinking of ice cream now?"

"The last line, Renji. Read it."

Shooting me one last you're-out-of-your-fucking-mind look, he grabbed the paper and read aloud. _"Could you buy me a chocolate malt?" _He looked over at me. "Dairy Queen."

"Exactly, after my dad came back from the office on Dove Street, he brought us home ice cream. It was melted by the time he got back but at least it came in handy now."

I turned on my left blinker and shot out in front of a silver dodge. "How long has it been?" I asked Renji.

He looked at the time, "Three hours exactly."

"Shit!" I punched the steering wheel and slammed my foot on the gas.

* * *

**_RUKIA'S POV_**

The two brothers finished laughing at the story I told them about how Ichigo snuck out to see me one night. "And he hid under your bed?" Kaien asked between laughs.

I nodded, smiling. "Yep. It was pretty funny."

As they laughed, I could see Ichigo in them. They all had the same laugh.

I had told them all the stories I could think of and even told them the stories Ichigo had told me. "Our brother sure it something else," Shuhei muttered.

"Yeah," I agreed.

"Tell me, Rukia. How do you feel about our brother?" They eyes bore into me.

Before I could answer, the door opened and another tall guy walked in. His brown hair hung loosely in his eyes. He also looked a bit like the brothers. "Ashido, what is it?" Kaien asked.

His voice was deep and sent vibrations through my chest, "It's been three hours."

They looked down at their phones and nodded, "It sure has. Well, come on."

Kaien grabbed my hand and helped me up. I pushed away from him, my heart beating widely. "Where are we going?" I asked.

Shuhei smiled, "You'll see." He grabbed a hold of my wrist.

"Wait!" I said, pulling away. "I need to know what time it is."

"It's two-forty." Which means they had taken me at around eleven.

My eyes widened, "Oh God."

"What?" Ashido asked.

"My brother, Byakuya Kuchiki."

Shuhei cursed and racked a hand through his hair. "Someone get me her cell phone!" He screamed out the door.

Moments later, a pair of footsteps came up the stairs. Slowly. "Here it is." The voice was monotoned and obviously bored.

Kaien rolled his eyes as the man walked in. "Damn Ulquiorra. Walk slow enough?" The guy in question was just as tall as everyone else with straight black hair that hung to just about his shoulders.

"Don't tempt me," he said. His eyes looked at me and I shivered. They were so empty of emotion and life they looked almost dead. "So this is the girl?"

"Yeah, now give me the phone." Shuhei grabbed my phone and flipped it open. "Call your brother and tell him you're with a friend."

"He won't believe me."

Grimmjow appeared and the room became noticeably smaller. "Why not, Midget?" He grumbled.

I glared at the nickname, "He'll call their house and make sure I'm there."

Shuhei growled, "Fine. Tell him something that will get him off our backs for about an hour more."

I scrolled through my contacts until Byakuya's name appeared. I pressed the call button.

_"Hello?"_

"Brother, it's me. Is it okay if I stay with a friend for a little while."

_"Sure. Just call me when you're on your way home."_

"I will." We hung up and I stared down at my phone. He hadn't even asked who. I looked back at everyone and noticed they were all paying attention to each other. As fast as I could I quickly sent Ichigo a text.

_Taking me to another place. I was at a warehouse. Idk where to next._

A few minutes passed and I got a reply.

_How do i no this is rukia?_

I thought for a minute. How could I convince him? _U took me to a secret hide away once. 1 no1 else nos about. I love you ichigo._

My phone lit up with a new message. _I will find u. I swear. I love you too rukia._

As quickly as I could, I deleted those messages and looked back at the other. No one seemed to have noticed. "I've called him."

They all turned towards me and Shuhei grabbed my phone, looking through it quickly. "Good. Let's go."

Grimmjow took a hold of my wrist and led me out towards a car. It was a black car and I mean fully black. Even the windows were tinted "What is that?" I asked.

"It's called a Ford Flex. **(A/N: Look that up. It's real and awesome!) **We'll be using it to take you to the next location."

I got into the car and was surprised to find it really roomy. Kaien was in the diver seat with Shuhei in the passenger seat. I was in the second row between Grimmjow and the unhappy guy, Ulquiorra. I glanced back quickly to see Ashido and another guy. He gave me a smile, "Hey, I'm Kira." With his blonde hair and light grey eyes, he seemed like the sweetest of them all.

I gave him a freindly smile back. "Hi. I'm Rukia."

"Shit, is that Ichigo?" I looked forward and saw Ichigo's mustage driving passed.

Leaning over Grimmjow, I slammed on the window. "Ichigo!" I shouted.

Grimmjow pulled me back. "Fuck! He heard her!"

I looked over in the rear-view mirror and saw Ichigo turning to follow us. I reached for the handle and yanked on it.

"Dammit Rukai. Knock it off." He pulled me away from the window again and buckled my seat belt. "You're going to need that with the way Kaien drives."

The car suddenly made a hard left and I was shoved into Ulquiorra. "I'm sorry," I said, getting off him. He shrugged.

The jerked to a stop and swung again to the left. "Hold on," Kaien said. I heard the engine roar as he hit the gas sending us forward.

My head spun as we fish tailed to the right and came face to face with Ichigo's car. I could see the sweat on his face. In the car next to him, Renji was gripping the seat in fear.

Kaien switch gears and suddenly we were going backwards. He looked over the seat to watch where he was going and turned the car sharply. "Hold onto her!" Shuhei yelled.

Grimmjow pulled me against him and rested his chin on my head. "Hold on tight."

The car came to a sudden stop and for a minute, I thought it was over. I tried to look around and see anything but everything was dark. "Where are we?" I asked.

**_HA! Go me and writing a long ass chapter!!! Two chapters in one day! Who's good? I'm good! Review!!_**


	17. Getting Her Back Just To Lose Her Again

**_I swear, reading your guy's reviews sooooo makes my days :) I don't know what I would do without you all! I mean seriously, hearing that somethinks my story is the best one out there and hearing what part is your favorite really makes me smile! I am so grateful for every single one of you! THANKS!!_**

**_RUKIA'S POV_**

I held my breath and waited for an answer. When none came, I let it out. "Grimmjow?" I whispered.

"Keep quiet, Rukia." Was his harsh whisper of a reply.

Not wanting to get in trouble, I did as I was told. I felt Grimmjow's hand tighten around my waist and realized he was still covering me.

As the time passed, I started to freak. "I need to get out of here."

"Why?" Grimmjow asked.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm myself. "I'm claustrophobic."

He let out a curse and let me go, leaving me in the dark completely. I heard some noises and suddenly the lights flickered on. My eyes widened as I looked around.

We were once again in a warehouse only this time, the car was inside and it was surrounded by men. All of which had guns. Grimmjow looked around and then back at me, "Stay in the car. Got it?"

I nodded and he quickly opened the door and jumped out, slamming it just as fast behind him. I looked up front at Kaien and Shuhei, they were loading guns. "Oh God," I whispered, my hand flew to my mouth.

Shuhei looked back at me and set the gun down. "Nothing is going to happen to you, understand?" I felt my eyes water with every bad thought that came to mind. He grabbed my chin making me stare into his eyes and for a minute, I pretended he was Ichigo. "I will protect you."

Nodding, I choked back a sob. "I know."

He gave me a curt nod and went back to his gun. "They're just some bullies, I guess you could say. They're a bunch of big guns and talk. Just stay in the car and everything'll be fine."

Questions raced through my head but I nodded nonetheless. "Alright."

With a quick glance at each other, Kaien and Shuhei jumped out of the cars and closed the doors.

I looked behind me at the two in the back and Kira smiled at me. "You all good?" He asked.

"Yeah, just a little shook up."

He unbuckled himself and jumped up front with me, "You've got nothing to worry about with us around." I could see the outline of a gun in his pant pocket and I felt my stomach drop to my feet.

The sound of tires screeching and guys yelling suddenly filled the air and I looked out the window.

Ichigo's mustang pulled into view, fishtailing to the right and skidding to a halt. The men around the car scattered like minnows. I watched the chaos and saw Ichigo throw open his car door. He marched straight over to his brothers and punched Shuhei in the face.

I gasped and reached for the handle. As Ichigo went to punch Kaien, Grimmjow came up from behind him and held him back. He said something to him but Ichigo wouldn't listen and ripped himself away.

As fast as I could, I threw open the door and scrambled over Kira. "Ichigo!" I screamed as soon as my feet his the concrete floor.

He whirled around and our eyes locked. "Rukia," he breathed.

Looking over, I saw Renji getting out of the car. He looked like he was going to throw up. "You're one fucked up driver, Ichigo."

I laughed and ran at Ichigo. He wrapped his arms around me and picked me up and swung me around. "Thank God!"

I wrapped myself around him. "I'm so glad you're here."

He nestled himself into my hair. "I'm glad you're alright."

* * *

**_ICHIGO'S POV_**

After the guys around Kaien's car had scattered, I threw my door open and got out. My eyes locked on Shuhei first and I headed for him. That son of a bitch had put Rukia in danger! I gritted my teeth and clenched my hands as I got closer. "You fucking idiot," I said, bringing my fist up. I punched him right in the nose.

He grabbed his nose to stop the bleeding and I looked at Kaien next. I brought my fist up to hit him but someone grabbed me from behind, holding me back. "Ichigo, you need to calm down."

"Let me go you piece of shit." I tore away from him and piveted on my foot.

Right before I could punch him, her voice filled the air and I froze. "Ichigo!"

Rukia stood just outside their car. I let out a breath, "Rukia."

"You're one fucked up driver, Ichigo." I ignored Renji and kept my eyes on Rukia.

She smiled and ran at me. As soon as she got close enough, I picked her up and held her close. I was so afraid she'd suddenly disappear. I swung her in a circle, "Thank God!"

She wrapped her arms and legs around me, "I'm so glad you're here," she said.

I let a smile form on my face, "I'm glad you're alright."

We stood there in each other arms just staring at each other. She was still in her school uniform, her hair a little messed up and her make-up all but gone. She never looked more beautiful. I heard my brothers, their friends and Renji talking around us but I was too caught up in Rukia to care.

"I want to go home."

Nodding, I took her hand and led her back to my car. "Come on Renji. We're going home."

He walked back over to the car and got in the back, letting Rukia sit up front with me. As they climbed I looked back at my brothers, Shuhei's nose had stopped bleeding but the front of his shirt was bloody. Their friends stood next to them and I glared, "I'll see you later."

With that, I got in the car, turned it on and peeled out of the warehouse. We drove home in silence and I dropped Renji off first. He said his goodbye's and we headed to Rukia's.

I parked the car outside her house and looked at her. "I'm so sorry about them."

She gave me a small smile, "Don't be. They meant no harm."

Looking ahead, I narrowed my eyes. "That's no excuse."

I turned back towards her when she placed her hand on my arm. Her eyes were full of concern, "Ichigo. There's something you need to know."

"What?"

"Your brothers have a reason for why they do this."

I grinded my teeth together. "No reason is good enough."

"Ichigo, they just want to know more about you. They want to be a part of your life. It's not their fault that they want to get to know you. You've kept them locked out of your life and now they're using anyway to learn more about their little brother."

"I don't want them in my life."

Her face turned stony, "How can you say that?!"

Slamming my hands on the steering wheel, I shouted, "You don't know what it's like Rukia! You have no clue what I have to go through with them!"

The moment it left my mouth, I regretted it. "You're right Ichigo. I don't know what it's like. I have no clue what having brothers that want nothing more than to be in your life is like. I don't know the feeling of having people who want to know about me. I'm stuck with Byakuya who can barely look at me sometimes! I'm stuck with a sister who lost her life and left me with a statue of a brother! I have no clue what it's like to have brothers, let alone a _family _that cares about me! I can definitely see why you'd hate such a thing."

Not another word was said and she threw open her door and slammed it closed. I debated on going after her but by the time I had made a choice, she was inside.

Sighing, I ran my hand through my hair. I had fixed everything just to fuck it up again. "Great," I growled.

Switching the car into drive, I hit the gas and shot forward.

**_Poor Ichigo! :( No worries! Next chapter will be so dramatic and so heartfelt and sad and loving and heartwarming some of your may cry! But they will be tears of joy. Review? Thanks ;)_**


	18. Everything, and The End

**_I know that last chapter was a bit of a disappointment because people were expecting a bit more excitement and then the whole Ichigo and Rukia fighting again was just like WTF?! But, this chapter is going to be LONG and HEARTFELT GOD DAMMIT! DX lol sorry. So, I once again can't thank you ALL enough for the reviews :) Coming home today and reading all of them was just awesome because school sucked major ass. All that drama and lies and fights, ugh. It's just getting old._**

**_ICHIGO'S POV_**

I drove home from Rukia's house in silence. Why did I always mess things up with her? Letting out a sigh, I stopped at a red light. Maybe she was right. All my life I had pushed Kaien and Shuhei away from me. I suddenly felt guilty as I remembered a summer they came to visit.

_Flashback :D Ichigo's eight, Shuhei is ten and Kaien would be eighteen._

_Moving quietly across the play ground, little Ichigo made his way over to the swing-set. His dad had told him to stay off of them because they were old and rusty, but Ichigo ignored the warning._

_As soon as his dad's eyes were off him, Ichigo bolted towards the swing-set full speed only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Kaien smiling down at him. "Let me go!" Ichigo yelled, trying to pull away._

_Kaien laughed, "Ichigo, you know you're not suppose to go over there."_

_Narrowing his eyes, Ichigo slammed his foot into Kaien's shin. "You're not the boss of me! I don't even like you! I hate you!!"_

_If anything, it seemed the words stung Kaien more than the physical blow to his leg. He let go of Ichigo's thin shoulder and walked away, leaving the little Ichigo to himself._

_End flashback!_

"I was eight. How was I suppose to know better?" I grumbled to myself, as the light turned green.

I thought again about how mean I had been to Shuhei on his birthday. He was turning eleven and thought it was the coolest thing in the world. As everyone sang him happy birthday and he blew out the candles on his cakes, I was in the other room opening up his presents.

By the time everyone walked into the living room, I had torn them all up and thrown them across the room. Guilt hit me again as I pulled into my driveway. Why had I been so hellbent on pushing them out of my life?

As I thought about it more and more, I came to a realization. I had started hating Shuhei and Kaien on the day of my mothers funeral. They had both tried to comfort me and I had yelled at them both, telling them I wanted them to go away. I was jealous. Jealous of my own brothers for having something I had lost. A mom.

The pain shot through me and I walked inside the house. Kaien and Shuhei sat on the couch, watching tv. They both jumped up when they saw me, 'I'm sorry's' filled the air. I stopped them both by just wrapping them in a hug. "I'm the one who should be sorry." Before they could ask, I explained. "For years I've hate you guys. I've hated my own brothers out of jealousy."

They both pulled away and looked at me, brotherly concern clouding in their eyes. "What?"

"The day of my mom's funeral, I was filled with so much hate at you two. I hated you because you had a mom and I didn't. After school, you got to go home and hug her while I sat in a house with noone." I scrubbed my hands over my face before I continued, "Rukia opened my eyes today. She was right. I've pushed you guys away long enough." I gave them my best smile, "How about we hang out? Just us three?"

Shuhei grinned first, "Well, sinse you insist."

Letting out a laugh, Kaien slapped us both on the back. "Let's get this brotherly bonding stuff going!"

I nodded, "Alright let do it!" I cheered along with Shuhei.

Thank you, Rukia.

* * *

**_RUKIA'S POV_**

The house was silent as I walked in and for that, I was glad. I really didn't feel like getting into it with Byakuya. Even though we had been getting along better, I didn't feel like being around him.

Instead, I went upstairs and worked on some homework. After I finished, I laid on my bed.

Thoughts of Ichigo invaded my head and I groaned, rolling onto my side facing the wall. I shouldn't have yelled at him. Who was I to tell him how to live his life? If he didn't want his brothers in his life that was his choice.

I thought about calling him and apologizing but my pride wouldn't let me. Instead, I decided I should clean up my room.

Most of it had been picked up after my melt down but there was some junk still lying around. Byakuya had promised to let me get my room redecorated because he said he felt partly responsible for my outburst.

The time passed slowly and with my radio broken, I had nothing but cleaning to pass the time with. So, I changed the sheets on my bed, picked up all the things on my floor, vaccumed, dusted, and by the time I had it all done, Byakuya was home with dinner.

I met him in the kitchen and took my normal seat. Right across from him at the table. He had brought home chinese food.

We talked quietly to each other, sharing details about our day, going over plans for the weekend and just enjoying our small time together. I helped him clean up the mess and we put the dishes away together.

"Rukia, I need to talk to you about something important."

"What is it?" I asked, placing the last plate away.

He led the way to the living room and I took a seat across from him. He looked like a big time lawyer in his tux on that brown leather couch. Speaking of which, why was he still in his tux? He cleared his throat, pulling me back. "I've been doing some thinking lately." That was never a good sign. "Ever sinse we've moved here, I've noticed a change in you. You've become more open and at home here. There has been problems." By problems he meant Ichigo. "But I think now I've come closer to understanding you." A silence filled the air and I knew what was coming. Tears filled my eyes, "Rukia, I know that ever sense Hisana was taken from us, we've grown apart. And I hate it." He met my eyes and I felt my composure drop. "You're my little sister Rukia and I've been hurting you. I've kept you from the man who makes you happy. I know if Hisana was here today, she'd be ashamed of me. But you. You and I both know she'd be so proud of you." He hung his head low. "Can you please forgive me?"

Tears fell freely and I did absolutely nothing to stop them. Instead, I rose to my feet and rushed over to Byakuya. "I love you," I said, wrapping my arms around his neck and hugging him close.

He held me to and rubbed my back gently, "I love you too, sister." More tears sprang forward and I cried into the pocket of his jacket. And he let me.

* * *

I walked into school the next day to be wrapped up in Orihime's arms. "Are you ready?!" She squealed.

After I caught my breath, I gave her a confused look. "For what?"

She laughed and linked arms with me, which was hard considering our height difference. "The plan!" She said, dragging me down the hall. It was then I noticed that she was wearing jeans with a white shirt that had a bird flying over her right chest with a pink ribbin in its mouth. Where was her uniform?

"Orihime, why are you wearing normal clothes?"

Before she gave me an answer, she dragged me into the drama classroom. I looked around and found Tatsuki along with several other girls from our class. Some of them I recognized and others I didn't. "What's going on?" I whispered to Orihime.

"The plan, Rukia. Remember?"

My eyes widened as I remembered the plan we had made when I first moved here. "Oh yeah. But why is everyone in normal clothes?"

"The teachers announced yesterday that we were all allowed to wear what we wanted today. But sinse you weren't here yesterday you didn't get the memo," Tatsuki said, walking over to me with her hands behind her back.

"So we picked something out for you!" Orihime declared.

In a matter of minutes, they had taken off my school uniform, my underwear and my bra and replaced it with a thong, a push-up bra and a new outfit. I stared at my reflection in amazement. I was wearing some low rider jeans that were slightly faded on the butt, and a dark blue, low cut shirt that hugged my curved and shoved up my chest even more. "Is this really necessary?" I asked as a short blonde girl, wearing a simple black skirt and a purple top started putting make-up on me.

Tatsuki started working on putting my hair in a bun while Orhime painted my nails blue to match my shirt. "Of course! We're already ready and we've been waiting for you!" Her eyes glowed with excitement, "Just wait until the guys see us! They'll be tripping all over themselves just for a look!" A blush formed on her cheek, "Maybe Ishida will see me."

I smiled just seeing her happy. "I'm sure he will."

A few more minute passed and finally I was done. They had put a light foundation on me with some white eye shadow. "Finished!" Orihime clapped.

The other girls in the room squealed happily and everyone rushed out of the room. I followed after Tatsuki and Orihime into our classroom. As soon as we entered, I could feel Ichigo's gaze on me. I did my best to stay calm as I walked over to my desk. He was at his own next to me in a pair of torn up jeans and a black button up shirt. Nothing was said as I sat down.

Class started and I couldn't stop the smile from forming on my face as I felt Ichigo's eyes on me. It quickly faded when he rushed out of the classroom without saying anything to me. As I looked around, I saw Orihime flirting shamelessly with Ishida. I smiled. She really liked him and by the looks of it he liked her. The next to catch me attention was Renji and Tatsuki. They were sitting next to each other on the floor talking and laughing loudly. Even Chad was talking to a girl. It was the blonde haired girl who had done my make-up.

Feeling like a third wheel, I left the classroom and found myself heading outside with my lunch. I took a seat under a big tree and began eating my sandwich. "Hey."

I looked up and was met with Ichigo's beautiful golden eyes. "Hey," I whispered softly.

"Can I join you?"

I nodded and he sat down beside me. "I want to thank you."

"For what?" I asked, confused.

He smiled at me. "Last night. I mean, I didn't want to fight with you but if you hadn't yelled at me, I would've never talked to my brothers." He closed his eyes for a moment. "So yeah, I talked to them. And I found out so much about them. God Rukia, I feel like I can actually call them brothers now. After all the years of fighting and hating, I can finally come to terms with them." He ran his hand through his hair and I could see the vulnerability in his eyes.

"Ichigo."

"Not yet Rukia. Just listen." He crossed his legs and turned to me, grabbing my hands. "When I first met you Rukia, I wanted nothing more than to just get with you. I mean, I wanted to know you but I felt you were a challenge." I narrowed my eyes and opened my mouth to say something. He cut me off, "Hold on. But I learned a little about you and suddenly, I wanted to know everything. Your favorite color, your favorite season, what makes you mad, what makes you happy, your dreams and the things that scare you. Everything. And now I know that you love blue, fall makes you smile, you hate being lied to, being around people who care for you makes you happy, I know that deep down, you want a family of your own one day. And deep down, though you won't admit it, you're afraid of being alone and you're afraid no one will want you."

My mouth dropped open. It felt as if someone had just read my mind and laid my secrets out before me. "How did-"

He cut me off again, "I can read you, Rukia. Your emotions are always in your eyes and across your face. When you get mad, your eyes narrow into slits of pure black. When you smile, I can tell just how happy you really are. I can tell when you want to be alone and when you just need a shoulder to cry on. When someone annoys you, your nose scrunches up like a rabbit, even though you hate carrots. I know you Rukia. And I want nothing more than to just be with you." His eyes were wide and I choked back a cry. "I know I've fucked things up with you over and over again but I swear Rukia, I want nothing more than to see you happy. Even if it means never talking to you again, I swear I'll make you happy."

We sat there in silence, our eyes locked. He stood up and brushed the grass off his pants. "I guess I'll just let you think-"

This time, I cut him off. "No." Standing up, I grabbed the front of his shirt. "I want to be near you whenever I can." With that finally said, I pulled him down. Our lips smashed together and I held him close.

His arms wrapped around me and he pressed me against the tree. "Is this what you want?" He asked, pulling away gently.

"More than anything in the world. I just want to be held in your arms. Kiss me."

More than happy to obliged, Ichigo crushed his lips against mine once more. Our tongues battled for dominance.

"Well it's about time!" We pulled apart and looked to see Renji, hand-in-hand with Tatsuki, standing outside the school.

Ichigo grin, "I could say the same thing about you!"

Laughing, I pressed myself against Ichigo. Finally, everything was right in the world. Everything. "I love you, Ichigo."

He bent down and nuzzled my neck, "I love you too, Rukia."

**_THE END._**

**_Well, that's about it. I guess it's not as tear jerking as I thought it was going to be but I do think this was the best it'll be :)_**

**_I'm so happy about how this story turned out. This will be the last chapter of this story. I hate to end it but I'm afraid if I don't, it'll become too long and just suck. I'm thinking about a sequal but no promises. Sorry. I enjoyed writing this and having all of your reviews and all of your love! It's really what kept me going. You should check out my IchiRuki mini stories if you liked this one :)_**

**_Thank you again :)_**


End file.
